Taking the Offer
by Wherever Girl
Summary: After Jim graduates from the Interstellar Academy, he believes his life will get better. But, fate has him caught in another adventure... with a shock he may not overcome.
1. Prologue: Another Deadly Situation

Inspiration has struck me to start (another) new story. Here is the summary!

_After graduating from the Academy, Jim believes his life will get better… unfortunately, in order to get something good, you have to face the bad, and this time it's harder for him to do._

…

Well, don't stop there! Keep reading!

Note: **Bold** print will be Jim's narration.

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A young man with slightly-long brown hair, blue eyes, who was about 16, burst through the door and began running down the metallic walk that lead to the hull.

**See that guy running? That's a guy who became a hero after discovering one of his favorite child-hood stories was actually true. AKA, me.**

He took a sharp turn, knocking a couple of barrels behind him. Right around the corner, a band of ferocious, blood-thirsty, pirates raced after him, undoubtedly in a murderous pursuit.

**My name is Jim Hawkins. About a year ago, I found a legendary planet full of riches beyond your imagination, all the while having to deal with God-knows-what-kind-of-creatures that wanted their hands on it first. **

Jim ducked around a corner, letting the pirates race past, then snuck out and began to run. "Hey, there he goes!" One of them yelled, spotting him.

**They were pirates, in case you didn't figure it out, and they were like the creeps who are after me now… only, not as ugly. **

He raced through another doorway, slamming it in their faces while he used his laser-pistol to weld the handle shut- a trick he learned from one of his friends, then ran down a flight of stairs.

**You've probably heard my story before, and probably asking yourself how I could have gotten into another mess like this. Well, I'll tell you…**

Jim ran as fast as he could, his legs starting to ache, until he came to the longboat hold, where he quickly opened the hatch and hastily began untying the longboat, but didn't get far when he heard the shouts from the pirates, and a laser-blast shot past him, nearly hitting his shoulder.

**I had this friend, who I met during my first voyage.**

"Well, 'Jimbo', looks like this is going to be the one treasure-hunt you won't finish… alive." Another pirate said.

**He was a pirate… but later, he became more to me. He gave me the self-confidence I needed, and helped me get my life back on the right track. He saved my life in more than one way… And one day I knew I needed him again, which is where my next adventure started.**

He knew he had no other choice as he looked down at the starry sky below him, and jumped, closing his eyes as the wind rushed up against his face…

**It all happened one year after I found Treasure Planet. **

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A/N: And there's your teaser. Sorry it's so short!

Review?


	2. Chapter 1: The Benbow's Regular Customer

Man, this story got some reviews FAST! …Yays!

**Reviewer Thanks**

Welsh Gem: Thank you. I hope it continues well throughout the story.

SweetAngel1183: Thanks so much! And, of course, I plan to continue.

EventHorizon6: Yes! First chapter, and already I got you hooked! :D I thought about including Natalie, but I knew it would make no sense, like you said- it was a tempting idea, but no. Plus, this story isn't going to involve romance… maybe.

Amalimrock: I love striking others' curiosity. I'm glad you like the prologue structure- I always thought that, if they made a sequel, what it would be like, and having Jim narrate the beginning came to mind. …Actually, if you check the special features and go to "Alternate beginning", it kind of starts off with that idea. No lie.

**Bold **print will be Jim's narration.

Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet.

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**I believe it was two weeks after I graduated from the Interstellar Academy, when my problems had started, and they began at the one place every single problem I've ever experienced emerged: home.**

The early-morning sun rose over the hills of the small mining planet of Montressor, pushing away the shadows of the night and spreading light along the small town, mostly hitting the Benbow Inn and filtering through the windows, shining light into a dark room and slowly moving toward a sleeping figure in his bed. When the sunlight hit his face, he pulled the blanket over his head, deciding to sleep in a little longer…

*BAM!* The bedroom door swung open, and standing there was none other than the talkative robot, BEN, accompanied by that shape-shifting protoplasm, Morph.

"Rise and shine, Jimmy!" BEN exclaimed, stepping into the room. "Time to get up!"

"Time to get up! Time to get up!" Morph repeated.

Jim only grumbled, curling up tighter under his blankets. Knowing it was going to take more than BEN's jabbering to get him out of bed, Morph floated over his head and changed into an alarm clock, with the little hand on the 5 and the big hand just 3 notches away from the 12. Then 2... Then 1... Then…

*_RIIIIIIIIIIIING!*_

"Whoa! HEY!" Jim shouted, sitting up in his bed quickly, finding out how close he was to the edge and fell to the floor with a *thud!*. He sat up, then grabbed Morph (still in his clock form) and shook him. "Can't you guys let me sleep in for once?" Morph changed back to his regular form, then flew up and licked Jim's face.

"But Jimmy, today's the most important day of your life!" BEN said happily. "The day you finally sail the Etherium on another thrilling adventure!"

Jim sneered at BEN, shaking his head. Ever since he graduated, the robot was eager for him to sail the Etherium again, though Jim told him he wanted to stay at home for a couple of weeks to help his mother with the Inn and to make sure things were going smoothly. After all, ever since he returned from his Treasure Planet voyage, he wanted to make sure his mother would be able to run the place without having to deal with any more problems, like she had to before.

Of course, BEN didn't forget his statement, and now- exactly two weeks later- he was excited to explore the galaxy once again with his 'best buddy'. "Not today, BEN." Jim sighed, rubbing the side of his face. "I still need to help my mom."

"You said that two weeks ago," BEN whined, then turned optimistic. "Besides, I'll be around to help her while you're gone!"

Jim gave BEN a critical look. "No offense, BEN, but you're not really too coordinated to help my mother run the Inn."

"What are you talking about? I'm the most helpful guy she knows!"

Jim scoffed. "Yeah, I've seen you 'help'." …And by 'help', he meant BEN breaking, spilling, or burning something, being distracted by his own endless conversations, and causing a mess.

BEN sneered. "I'll have you know, I'm the most coordinated robot who's ever-" he swung his arms out, gesturing to prove his point, and ended up knocking a picture off of Jim's dresser. "…Oops."

Jim rolled his eyes. "Exactly." With that, he walked past BEN, grabbing a towel and some clean clothes, heading toward the bathroom.

BEN looked at Morph, who was stifling a laugh. "I AM very coordinated, you know." Morph only giggled at him in response.

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After a shower and a quick change of clothes, Jim went downstairs to the kitchen, tying an apron around his waist and stepping out into the dining area to help his mother, Sarah, take care of the Inn patrons…

…only to see her standing at a table, laughing with a man with black hair (a bit of gray on the sides), a slightly large cleft chin, broad shoulders, wearing a snazzy suit and tie. His name was Clifford Tides, a business tycoon let alone the manager of the mining corporation, a regular customer at the Inn…

…and Sarah's beau, much to Jim's displeasure. Sure, he was happy that his mother was dating again, having forgotten about his real father leaving them long ago, but he couldn't stand Tides- they didn't see eye-to-eye, and Jim new at first-glance that the man didn't like him. Why, he didn't know- the way Tides looked at him just sent the message that they weren't going to be getting along so well.

He grabbed an empty tub and began to clear a table, watching his mother talk to Tides. She seemed so happy around him- more happy than Jim had ever seen her since his father left, save the time when she met Jim at the spaceport after his Treasure Planet journey, and that's all that mattered. "…wondering if you'd like to go out for dinner sometime," Jim heard Tides ask his mother.

Jim had his back to them, and he flinched a little. _Please say 'no', please say 'no', _he thought.

"That sounds nice," came Sarah's reply, and Jim sneered, mentally gagging as he continued to clear off the table, a bit more roughly. "But…"

He froze, slightly glancing over his shoulder at his mother. "But… what?" Tides asked, taken by surprise.

"Well, I promised a friend I'd join him and his family for dinner tonight, already. Maybe tomorrow night."

"Ah, sure thing, Sarah." Tides stood up, smiling, then looked at his watch. "Ooh, I'd better get to work!" he then grabbed her hand and kissed it. "I'll see you during my lunch break." He chuckled flirtatiously, then walked out.

He passed by Jim, and for a split-second both of them made eye-contact- slightly glaring at each other- then he was out the door. Jim carried on with his own business, ignoring the sudden disgust he felt for the man.

He knew for SURE they weren't going to get along.

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Later that evening, Jim and Sarah rode a carriage to the Doppler residence. "So… I see that Tides came in again today," Jim said, deciding to start a conversation.

"Yes, he did. He always comes in for breakfast and lunch, remember?" Sarah replied, slightly blushing as she smiled. "Sometimes, I think he just comes in to see me."

_Like I don't know that already, _Jim thought bitterly. _Tides has been coming in since we re-opened, and hasn't left us alone since! …No, he hasn't left MOM alone. _

"What do you think of him?"

"Huh?" Jim asked, missing his mother's question.

"What do you think of him? I mean, he seems kind of nice, don't you think?"

"Oh, I think he's great!" BEN exclaimed, before Jim could answer. He was sitting next to Sarah in the carriage, hanging on to the reigns that steered their slughorse. "He always eats anything I cook, he leaves me great tips…"

As BEN rambled on, Jim looked out the side of the cart, watching the sun set. Morph sat on his shoulder, looking at him curiously, wondering why his young-master seemed so down. Sarah noticed his expression too, and opened her mouth to say something, but BEN cut her off.

"…And he ALWAYS compliments my desserts!"

"BEN, please." Sarah said, calmly yet sternly, then faced Jim. "So… what do YOU think of him, Jim?"

Jim was about to reply, until BEN pulled the carriage to a sudden stop, making them jerk forward. "Here we are! The Doppler residence!"

Jim and Sarah sat back up, then climbed off the carriage, and the small family walked toward Delbert and Amelia's household. "I haven't seen Delbert or Amelia since our celebration," Sarah said. "I wonder how they've been doing…"

"Well, they've got four kids, so they probably have their hands full." Jim replied.

"Oh, c'mon, Jimmy! How hard could it be to take care of four kids?" BEN chuckled.

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A/N: Sorry if this story got off to a bad start. I was struck with the idea of what would happen if Sarah started dating another man, and decided to open it with that. Tell me what you think!

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	3. Chapter 2: Inside the Doppler Household

Well, here's the next chapter. Oh, by the way… Happy Halloween! =D

**Reviewer Thanks**

HG96: Here's more! And that idea already popped into my head by the time I finished the last chapter (talk about great minds thinking alike, huh?). Thank yous!

Welsh Gem: Lol I love that pairing too! And, yes, BEN will see how wrong he is in time ;)

EventHorizon6: Thanks! …There's other fics about Sarah dating another man? Really? Wow, I guess I'm not the first one :p I'm glad it got you hooked, though! And, you'll have a better reason to hate Tides soon (I hate the guy already, too, lol). And don't worry- ramblings make great reviews!

Amalimrock: *whew* That's good to know! And, believe me, Sarah WILL be shocked when she finds out (insert mischievous laugh here). Thanks for the nit-pick, too! I'm glad you like my writing style.

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"Doctor! Assume position 5-4-9-0!" Amelia called out, tossing her husband a package. Something flew toward her, and she quickly ducked it, hearing it crash behind her.

"Yes, dear!" Delbert cried as he caught the package, jumping into the air as he did and sliding along the floor on his back. He got up and tried to run, but tripped in the process, sending the package flying through the air.

Amelia, ducking behind an over-turned table, saw the package fly through the air. She rolled out from behind the table and ran across the room, leaping onto the couch, using it as a step for her next jump, and sprung into the air, catching the package and doing an aerial flip as she landed on the floor in a crouching position. She looked back at Delbert, who lied on his stomach. "Are you alright, darling?"

Delbert weakly gave her a thumbs-up. "I'm alright- Dear, behind you!" He frantically pointed over Amelia's shoulder.

She looked over, ducking just in time as a blue wooden block with the letter "A" on it flew through the air, hitting Delbert on the head. Amelia scowled, looking over at who through the block…

…Seeing their so-called 'attackers', sat in their play-pen, throwing their toys and giggling. "Alright, that's quite enough!" Amelia said, approaching her children, carrying the package in her hands. Opening it up, she pulled out three lovely dresses: a red one, a blue one, and a green one; and a small brown suit. "Time to get you kids ready for dinner,"

The four infants whined. "Ah, ah, ah! None of that!" Delbert scolded, reaching down and picking up his son. "Whining never got anyone out of a situation," he then leaned close to his son, whispering so that Amelia couldn't hear him. "Trust me, I've tried it with your mother,"

"I heard that, Doctor," Amelia said sternly as she picked up her three daughters. Even though they had become a family, she always referred to her husband as 'Doctor', keeping to her authority, even in her own home. "Now, hurry. The Hawkins family will be here any minute, and we have to spiff up our house before they arrive."

*Ding Dong!*

Amelia and Delbert gasped in unison. "They're here!" they both said.

"I'll take care of the mess, you take care of the kids!" Amelia said, handing Delbert their three daughters, and he struggled to hold on to them all.

"Ack! Um… Alright!" Delbert stammered, carrying his kids up to their room. He set them down on the changing table, then gasped- he forgot their outfits! He ran back downstairs, grabbing their new outfits while Amelia hastily picked up the toys, filling her arms. She looked over at the over-turned table and- using her foot to kick it up- set it back into its suitable position.

*Ding Dong!*

"One moment!" Amelia called, throwing the toys into the toy-chest, then rushing to set the rest of the furniture back in place.

Delbert, meanwhile, struggled to put a dress on his blonde-haired daughter. "Amy, hold still!" he said, trying to put her panty-hoses on. A small black shoe then hit him in the head, and he looked at his red-headed daughter. "Ashley, quit that!" His son then began to cry, and he saw his black-haired daughter tugging his ear. "Alice, stop pulling Derek's ear!" Suddenly, the panty-hose snapped off Amy's ankles, and landed on his face. "Agh! I can't see!" At this, the children laughed. Delbert pulled the panty-hoses off his face. "Alright, quite enough! Now, behave and hold still so I can-" Ashley threw her other shoe at him, and he paused, deadpanned. The children laughed again, and he glared at them sternly. "Do you want me to get your mother up here?"

That statement stopped their laughter, and they remained still.

"That's what I thought."

Back with Amelia, she placed a couch-cushion back on the sofa, then prepared to answer the door- until she looked at herself in a nearby mirror, realizing that her outfit was a mess with food-stains, dirt, and (dare I say) vomit!

*Ding Dong!*

"Be right there!" she called once again, then rushed into the bedroom and into her closet, throwing off her dirty clothes and running back out, wearing a dark-blue, slim dress and matching heels, and ran to the stairway as she put on her earrings. "Dearest, are the children dressed, yet?"

Delbert came running downstairs, carrying their now-dressed children. "Yes, yes, here they are…" he panted, handing Amelia the children. "I'll go get the door…"

"Doctor, wait! Aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?"

Amelia pointed at his attire, and he noticed that his buttoned-shirt was torn and had stains on it, his socks didn't match, and his pants were slipping off his hip, with his suspenders slipping off his shoulders.

"Oh! Um, be right back!" he ran into their bedroom, and quick as a flash ran back out, wearing a dark-red suit-jacket with a white shirt under it, a pair of black pants, and a pair of brown-loafers with white matching socks.

Amy then pulled Derek's ear, and in response he poked her in the eye, while Ashley and Alice were pushing each other… making it hard for Amelia to hold on to all of them. "Doctor, grab Derek and Alice!" she said, trying to keep a hold on her kids.

Delbert grabbed his son and black-haired daughter, and Derek started tugging on his red bow-tie. "Derek, don't do that! I-" he began, until Alice reached up and tugged his ear. "Ow! Alice, quit it!"

"Ashley, keep your shoes on!" Amelia scolded her red-headed daughter, then turned to her blonde-haired daughter. "Amy, don't you dare pull out your pig-tails!"

"Stop that!/Don't do that!/Quit it!/Ow! Would you…?/For the love of-" Amelia and Delbert talked all at once, trying to keep their children in line, until…

*Ding Dong!*

They all paused, turning to the door and smiling sweetly- even the kids! "Come in!"

Sarah, Jim, BEN, and Morph came in. "Well, isn't this a nice little scene?" Sarah said, smiling. "One big happy family,"

"Oh, yes, yes… Always nice to be together with the wife and kids, I always say," Delbert chuckled.

Sarah and Jim hung their jackets on a coat-rack. "I don't know how you do it, guys. It must be a handful taking care of four kids!"

"Oh, tish-tosh. It's absolutely no trouble at all," Amelia scoffed.

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A/N: (rolls eyes) _Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight_. C'mon, Amelia, even YOU have to admit being a parent is hard-work!

Please review! I accept constructive criticism.


	4. Chapter 3: Dinner Conversations

Well, here's the next chapter! Time for some interesting dinner conversations…

**Reviewer Thanks**

HG96: I'm glad to hear that ^-^ especially since I want to get it right, so it actually seems like an actual sequel.

Amalimrock: Lol, yes, librarians DO take their jobs seriously. *slaps forehead* Darn, I SHOULD have made that scene! Maybe I'll edit the chapter later and put it in ;)

Welsh Gem: Thank you! I do my best.

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Amelia and Delbert lead the Hawkins Family to the dining room. The walls were made of a smooth red-oak wood, with a burgundy-red carpet. The dining table was a rectangular shape, covered by a white tablecloth with a golden lining, with small trays of salads, roast bonzabeast beef, mashed potatoes, and purp juice. There was some oil in a soup bowl for BEN- Delbert advised it would be courteous to supply the robot with something to consume as well- and a small tea-plate of crackers for Morph (Amelia didn't want the small protoplasm to be 'begging for', let alone snatching, any of their own food). Everyone sat down at their seats: Delbert and Amelia on one side next to each other; their children on the side next to theirs, sitting in high-chairs; Jim and Sarah on the other side, across from Amelia and Delbert; and BEN and Morph next to each other, on the side opposite of the Doppler children. They said grace, then began their feast.

"So, Jim, how are you enjoying the post-graduation life?" Delbert asked, deciding to start a conversation.

"It's pretty good. I've been helping Mom run the Inn," Jim replied, taking a bite of his mashed potatoes.

"Really? I was thinking you would have been off by now, sailing the Etherium again."

"So did I," BEN mumbled. Sarah, being next to him, kicked the robot in the shin. "Ow! What was THAT for?"

"I just felt like helping out a little," Jim replied, giving his mother a small grin.

"Very generous, I must say." Amelia replied, nodding. "Though, I must admit, I'm waiting to see what kind of voyage you plan to conquer next,"

"What about you, Amelia?" Sarah asked. "Have you thought about sailing again?"

Amelia let out a small chuckle, reaching over and cleaning Amy's face after seeing her young daughter had smeared food on her cheek. "I'm afraid I won't be sailing for a while, Mrs. Hawkins. As you can see, I've already got my hands full, providing for my children."

"_I_ suggested we could take them with, but Amelia declined the offer," Delbert said.

Amelia gave her husband a distasteful look. "After what we experienced last year, Doctor, I wouldn't _dare_ risk our children's lives on a voyage. Especially since that blasted cyborg eluded us, and is still running amuck somewhere out in the galaxy!"

Jim froze in mid-bite at the mention of the word 'cyborg', knowing that Amelia was referring to Silver. He never told them that _he_ had let the pirate go, telling them that he walked down to the hull and found the hatch open and that their last longboat was missing. After Amelia mentioned recommending him to the Academy, he didn't want to jeopardize his chance for a better life by telling her the truth. Now, even after starting a family, the felinid captain was determined to hunt him down, and Jim could tell from the ferocity in her eyes at this moment that she would make sure the cyborg would hang for his crime in piracy (like his remaining crew that they had captured), if she didn't kill him on sight first.

He cleared his throat. "You know, Amelia, I doubt Silver could still be out there," he said, hoping to verbally defend his friend somehow. "I mean, think about it- he lost his crew, I doubt he got enough treasure from Flint's trove," -save the gold and jewels he tossed to Jim before he departed- "someone's probably caught up to him by now." Though, as crafty as Silver could be- Jim knew- it would be hard, if not impossible, to capture Silver.

"Possibly, but I won't believe such an optimistic thought until I am positive it's true," Amelia said, still tense, then turned to her son. "Oop, Derek, careful not to get anything on your new shirt."

"Speaking of which, where ever did you find those outfits?" Sarah asked, deciding to get off the 'Silver conversation' for a little bit. "They must have been imported, or something!"

"Actually, my mother made them," Delbert said, smiling with pride. "She's quite a seamstress, and would be positively flattered to hear your compliment. I might just put that in my letter, next time I write to her,"

"Yes, she is quite the designer," Amelia said, then sighed. "If only my mother would show more content."

Sarah gave them a quizzical look, and Delbert cleared his throat. "Ah, Mrs. Smollet—my mother-in-law—isn't so thrilled about our union,"

"…Let alone refuses to see our son,"

"How could _anyone_ refuse to see _any_ of your kids?" BEN gasped, looking at the children and smiling. "They're absolutely _adorable_!"

"Don't tell me she's still holding a grudge against you, Delbert!" Sarah said, just as stunned as BEN.

"Well, what can I say? She's your typical mother-in-law: full of nothing but repulsiveness and insults." Delbert said.

Sarah snickered. "Tell me about it. I remember when I married Leland-" she began to say, but stopped short, remembering that Jim was at the table.

He only shrugged, smiling a bit. "Go ahead, Mom. I don't mind," he said. He still had a grudge against his father for leaving them… and leaving a void in his soul. That void was filled after he had met Silver, though, so he didn't mind hearing about his father anymore, let alone cared about 'that man'.

Sarah smiled back, then turned to Amelia and Delbert. "Well, when we got married, my mother threw a _fit_! She was actually hoping I'd marry a boy I met in High School, even though we were just friends and never really courted, but that didn't stop her from…"

As his mother spoke, Jim was suddenly lost in thought, thinking about Silver. Ever since Amelia brought him up, he was suddenly concerned about the cyborg's whereabouts- where he had gone, what he was up to, if he's been avoiding the law… if he was still alive…

He snapped out of his thoughts by the time Amelia brought in dessert: a delicious vanilla-pudding cake, topped with whip-cream and a few curves of chocolate-syrup on the top. The conversations then took on different topics, one of them being how the Benbow Inn was holding up, which lead to a topic Jim wished they could have avoided…

"So, Sarah, how's your relationship with Clifford going?" Delbert had to ask.

Jim's eyes grew dark, but he didn't scowl, didn't furrow his eyebrows- he kept a poker-face, just to hide his feelings for his mother's constant visitor. Before Sarah could answer, though, Alice let out a small whine, squirming in her seat. "Excuse me, I believe Alice needs to be changed," Amelia said, standing up.

"I'll take care of her," Jim volunteered, standing up and picking up Alice, who looked at him and squealed with delight.

Amelia chuckled. "Ah, yes. I forgot how fond my children are of you. Very well, carry on."

Jim left the room, carrying Alice upstairs to change her- he had done it before on previous visits. As he lied her down on the changing table, he let out a heavy sigh, looking down at the black-haired felinid infant. "Thanks, Al. You got me out of there just in time," He then began to change her.

After changing Alice, Jim helped Delbert clear off the table, while Amelia and Sarah sat in the living room, chatting, with the children sitting on the floor, giggling as Morph transformed into different creatures and objects to entertain them (along with BEN, who took a liking to Morph's talent as well).

Afterwards, the two families bid farewell, and Jim steered their carriage home, deciding to let BEN rest (and to avoid anymore sudden stops). He tried to stay focused on the road, though his mind kept getting lost in his thoughts about Silver and Tides.

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A/N: Okay, now I'm just dawdling. I'll try to get into the tension next chapter!

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	5. Chapter 4: Old Times

Sorry for the wait, guys. I would have updated sooner, but as of right now I'm currently using the library's computers to write my stories, so I won't be able to update ASAP like I used to. Here's the next chapter for you, at last!

**Reviewer Thanks**

HG96: I'm glad you liked how the writing was done ^-^ And, yes, it's a good thing Alice was able to get Jim out of there before Sarah could ramble about how 'great' Tides is (mostly because I couldn't think up any great things she could say about him, rofl).

Welsh Gem: Oh, pishaw! You could write it as well as I can, probably better! But thanks for the compliment :)

Amalimrock: Oh, Jim will see him again… maybe. ;) But I'm not saying when! (tee hee)

EH6: Lol, don't worry. You reviewed, and that's all that matters, late or not. And a million thank-yous for your compliments ^-^ Now, here's the tension you all have been waiting for!

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As soon as they reached home, Jim sent his mother up to bed, telling her that he would lock the doors and finish cleaning the kitchen for her. Thanking him, Sarah went upstairs to her room, leaving Jim to do his chore. She would have had the kitchen cleaned before they left, but it had been a busy day at the Benbow, and she didn't want to be late for dinner with Delbert and Amelia, since the felinid captain was very punctual about being on time—you either got there on time, or not bother to show.

Jim started washing the dishes. Morph shape-shifted into a sponge and started helping him, while BEN dried the clean ones. "Wow, I can't believe how fast the Doppler children are growing!" The bioelectronic navigator said, beginning a conversation. "It's like yesterday they were lying in a little bed, with Morph watching them."

"Watching them!" Morph repeated, shifting out of his sponge-form and into a set of large eyes. Jim chuckled, remembering how the protoplasm watched him with the same look on his first day on the _Legacy_. The memory made him sigh, as it had brought Silver back into his mind.

"They sure grow up fast, don't they, Jimmy?"

Jim nodded, still thinking about Silver. "Yeah. Hybrids tend to age differently than humans." He said, handing BEN a clean dish to dry. "By next year, they'll be the size of five-year-olds." Morph nodded, turning into what he imagined the Doppler children to look like in a year: about 3 feet tall, the girls having long hair while the boy's hair would be poofy. Jim chuckled. "I don't think Amelia would allow Derek's hair to look like that, Morph." The mini-Derek shook his head, making his hair look more well-combed. "Heh, that's better."

"Yep. She may be strict, but Amelia is a good mother to take care of her children so well, just like how your mom takes good care of us!"

"Very good! Very Good!" Morph added, shifting back to his original form.

"Thanks," Jim said, grinning a bit as he scrubbed a pan.

"And Delbert is one heck of a father, too! He's going to teach his kids all sorts of interesting stuff, I bet! Just like how your dad taught you…" Ben began, then paused, realizing something. "Say, wait a minute, Jim… where IS your dad?"

"BEN…" Morph said warningly, shaking his head 'no'. He knew, after being around Jim for so long, that it was a bad idea to bring up his dad, but it was too late.

Jim's grin faded, and he stopped scrubbing the pan. He never brought up his father to BEN, or to anyone really… except Silver. "He… took off, and never came back." Jim replied, letting out a sad sigh.

BEN gasped. "Oh, my gosh! Did he get into an accident?" he asked, startled.

Jim scowled, not looking at BEN, then said quietly under his breath. "He might as well have…" He then started to exit the kitchen. "Why don't you guys finish the dishes? I'll start mopping in the dining area."

BEN saluted him. "Aye, aye, Captain Jimmy Sir!" He continued to dry the dishes, while Morph turned into a pair of hands and washed them.

Jim grabbed the mop and bucket and began to clean the floor. He didn't always mop just to help his mother out, but to clear his mind, which often rendered him washing the wooden floorboards for hours unless someone snapped him out of it. Being deep in thought while being in the middle of his chores was the only thing that helped him get by the chores Silver threw at him, some if not all of them being about his father—watching him leave every few weeks for a new voyage, coming home yet not paying much attention to him, and finally the thought of the man taking off and abandoning him and his mother, not looking back at his ten-year-old son racing to him to try to get him to stay.

Of course, those memories were washed away after Jim met Silver. Now, as he mopped, he thought about the ol' cyborg, how HE had taught Jim a few lessons that his own father never bothered to teach him. He wished they were still together, though he realized that if Silver were to show his face, Amelia would no-doubt tear him to shreds (and scraps of metal) for his piracy. …That's when he remembered the offer Silver had given to him before they left: going with him. Yet, Jim knew that running off with a pirate wasn't exactly the way to make his mother proud of him, nor would it help her Inn thrive.

_I guess it's better this way. _Jim thought, solemnly. _Silver will be safe, and Mom can have a better life…_

*CRASH!*

"Morph did it!" BEN called from the kitchen.

"WHAT?" Came Morph's angry reply, followed by a series of angry chatter and sounds of a scuffle.

Jim sighed, rolling his eyes and setting the mop in the bucket, walking toward the kitchen to break up the fight between the robot and shape-shifter.

…For the fifth night in a row…

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Sarah sat on her bed, looking out the window at the stars, twiddling her locket between her fingers. She let out a heavy sigh, turning and leaning her back against the headboard, opening the locket, watching the holographic images light up before her. She had upgraded new memories into it…

Morph transforming into a pair of scissors and cutting the red-ribbon in front of the new Inn…

She and Jim dancing at the Benbow's grand re-opening…

Amelia and Delbert playing with their kids, and BEN popping up between them to coo the infants, only to get hit with a rattle by Ashley…

Older memories began to flash next, from Jim building his first solar-surfer to his birth, then came an image she nearly forgot about…

It was an image of herself in high-school, sitting on a bench near the coast of the planet. A young teenage boy, slightly older than she was, came and sat down next to her. His figure was staticky, due to the image being stored in the locket for so long, but Sarah could still remember his face.

He was the one who gave her the locket in the first place.

Sighing, she closed the locket, lying down in her bed and looking out the window, wondering if she would ever see her 'high-school sweetheart' ever again.

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The next morning, the Benbow was as busy as ever, and Jim wondered why so many people kept coming in. Perhaps it was because its food and boarding had become popular since last year, and many of the patrons had told their friends and family about it. …Or, possibly because many of the patrons told everyone that Jim Hawkins—the boy who had discovered Treasure Planet—was still there. He figured it was the second one, since practically every new customer that would come in would ask him questions about his voyage, if not ask to hear his story.

…except for _one_ customer…

"Good morning, Sarah," Tides said, smiling a cheesy smile at Sarah as she passed by. "Busy morning?"

"As always," Sarah said, clearing a few dishes off a table. "Ever since Jim got back, this place has been full! It's like he's a patron-magnet, now."

"Mrs. Hawkins!" Came a familiar voice of one of the Inn's regular customers, Mrs. Dunwitty.

"I know. One purp-juice, coming right away!" Sarah called to her, then turned back to Tides. "I'll be right back." She walked away, carrying the dishes with her.

"I'll be waiting," Tides said, giving her a wink, then looked over his menu.

Jim was wiping down a table, watching Tides. Something just didn't seem right about that man… "Are you Jim Hawkins?" came a voice behind him. Jim looked over his shoulder, wondering who addressed him, and looked down to see an elephanid, possibly six-years-old.

"Yes I am. Who might you be?" Jim asked, kindly.

"My name's Elliot. I'm your biggest fan!" he took out a pen and a note-pad. "Can I have your autograph, please?"

Jim chuckled, kneeling down and writing, 'To my biggest fan, Elliot', and then signing his signature. "There you go,"

"Gee, thanks! Hey, I heard you're good at riding a solar-surfer. Could you teach me some of your tricks?"

"Heh heh, only if it's okay with your parents,"

"Oh, it's okay…!"

Tides peeked out from behind his menu, watching Jim chat with his fan. He sneered a bit, wondering how so many people got so 'giddy' about his little 'adventure'. For all he knew, the boy probably made the whole story up… And for some reason, that theory made him smirk.

Tired of watching Jim chat with the little boy, Tides slid his hand across the table, 'accidentally' knocking his glass off and causing it to fall to the floor, spilling water. "Whoops!" he gasped, innocently, then turned to Jim. "Excuse me, young man, I seemed to have spilled my water. Could I please get a new glass?"

Jim looked over, his smile fading as he let out a sigh, then turned back to Elliot and patted his head. "I've got to get back to work. Could I talk to you, later?" he asked.

"Okay, sure. …Oh, before I forget, could I have your phone number?" Elliot asked. "My uncle owns a mercenary-ship, and I want to know if it would be okay if I told him about you, so he could maybe hire you?"

Jim grinned, then wrote his number on the back of his autographed paper, handing it back to his fan. "Sure. Go ahead."

"SWEET! Thanks!" Elliot scrambled off, re-joining his parents at their table.

Jim grinned at the sight, then turned to assist Tides. If it wasn't for Elliot, Tides' presence would have ruined his day. Sarah arrived, just as Jim was wiping the water on the floor, and handed Tides a new glass of water. "I heard your accident," she said, sympathetically (in Jim's mind, he noted the word 'pathetic' in that word). "Here you go,"

"Thank you, Sarah, you're very helpful." Tides said, then out of the corner of his mouth, he muttered quietly to Jim: "A fat more helpful than YOU are,"

Jim scowled, marching back to the kitchen. He was growing sick of Tides, wishing there was something he could do to make sure the man never came back in… and that's when he got an idea. He let out a short whistle…

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"There you go, Tides," Sarah said, handing Tides a breakfast plate with blue-yolk eggs, reddish-brown sausages, and golden-brown toast. "Your usual."

"Thank you, Sarah." Tides said, tucking a napkin beneath his chin. "Oh, and please, call me 'Cliff'. I believe we've known each other long enough to go by a first-name basis." Sarah only smiled and walked away. Tides picked up his fork, preparing to stick it into his eggs… except, they moved away from his utensil! Arching an eyebrow, he tried to stick at them again, but they dodged his fork again! "What the…?" He then jabbed at them, but they dodged, making him stab his toast instead. Getting irritated, he grabbed his knife and tried to catch them, but they moved too quick. Finally, he dropped his silverware and tried grabbing them with his bare hands…

…To his shock, the eggs _flew_ into the air, hovering for a bit before splatting against his face. Yelping in disgust, he fell back in his chair, hitting the floor. The other patrons began to stare, noticing a disturbance in the Inn. Tides wiped the eggs off his face, and they slid onto his shirt. Growling, he tried to smack them, but they moved just in time, making him hit his ribs. Grunting, he sat up, trying to catch them as they moved around his entire abdomen and then, suddenly, down his shirt!

"Yeek!" Tides squealed, jumping up and shaking his arms and legs, while wiggling his torso about as the eggs moved around inside of him. "Get them out! Get them out!"

The patrons just stared, some of them chuckling, while others flinched at the sight. Sarah stepped out, gasping at Tide's 'dance-of-shock', not noticing Jim peeking out from behind the kitchen door, trying to stifle a laugh. BEN walked out, looking around. "What's so funny, Jimmy?" he asked, then noticed Tides' actions. "Whoa! Tides, I didn't know you could dance!"

Sarah then turned, spotting Jim, and giving him a cold stare when she realized he had something to do with this. "Uh, oh," Jim said bluntly, slipping back into the kitchen.

"For the love of the Etherium- GET. IT. OUT!" Tides shouted, flinging out his left leg and causing the eggs to fly out, landing back on his plate. Panting angrily, he looked down at the eggs.

Two eyes appeared in the yolks, one of them winking at him. Tides turned pale and, within a split second, fainted to the floor. "Tides!" Sarah gasped, rushing to him, turning to the Inn patrons, who just stared. "Are you going to stare, or could someone help me out here?"

A couple patrons assisted Sarah, sitting Tides back up and using a napkin to fan him back into consciousness. Sarah turned back to the kitchen, seeing Jim peek out, and glared coldly at him, making him cringe in both fear… and guilt.

It was the same glare she would give him when he did something wrong, just like old times…

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A/N: Mm. I don't think I added enough tension, so I'll try again next chapter… But, you gotta admit, that was darn-right frickin' hilarious!

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	6. Chapter 5: Developing Plans

Enough delay. Here's the next chapter!

_Reviewer Thanks_

HG96: (I hope writer's block isn't contagious too) And, yes, I got the idea of Elliot from a deleted scene on the DVD's bonus features. And, yes, Cliff is a real jerk-face, and sadly he'll get worse. And, yes, I would have done the same thing too. And, yes, it's just like old times… And thank you EVER! Lol

Welsh Gem: Yeah, BEN won't bring up Jim's father again… because he'll have his hands full with something else ;) Thank you.

Amalimrock: Lol, ditto. Jim might get hired, we'll see… As for the tension… you'll see. ;) And thank you!

EH6: Lol, so in other words, you loved the chapter? XD Glad you liked it! Thanks!

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"I'm _so sorry_, Tides," Sarah said once the man came to, giving him a fresh napkin to wipe his forehead with. "I promise…" she faced the kitchen, her piercing glare focused on Jim. "…It won't. Happen. Again."

"It's… quite alright, Sarah." Tides said, letting out a sigh but smiling. "I was just a little surprised, that's all. I mean, I've heard of undercooked food, but none that was still alive! Ha ha!" A couple patrons chuckled at his joke. "And, please Sarah, just call me 'Cliff'."

"I can get you a fresh plate, if you'd like,"

Tides chuckled, waving his hand in decline. "No need, Sarah." He looked at his watch. "I've got to get to work now, anyway." He then leaned close to her, arching his left eyebrow flirtatiously. "But… perhaps you could make it up to me by joining me for dinner tonight?"

Jim sneered, glowering at Tides, hoping his mother would say 'no', but his hope was crushed when she said: "I'd love to."

"Great! I'll pick you up around 8 o'clock," With that, Tides grabbed his jacket and walked out.

Sarah picked up his plate and gave the eggs a stern look. "Alright, Morph. Joke's over."

The eggs chattered and floated up into the air, and Morph resumed his regular shape. The protoplasm purred apologetically, slightly making his eyes bigger (but not TOO big) and giving Sarah a sad 'puppy-dog' look. She just shook her head and carried the plate toward the kitchen, and Morph followed.

Jim stood in the kitchen, angrily washing dishes. His plan to get rid of Tides had backfired, and now he had won a date with his mom… he couldn't feel any sicker. "Uh, Jimmy! Storm brewing off the starboard bow!" BEN warned, referring to Sarah. He let out a yelp when she burst through the kitchen door, practically slamming the dirty plate on the counter as she confronted Jim. Morph floated up to BEN, and they stood against the wall, silently watching as the furious mother faced her bitter son.

"Jim, what is WITH you, all of a sudden?" Sarah demanded. "Don't you realize I have an Inn to run, without you scaring off the customers with your prank?"

"What makes you think I-" Jim was about to retort defensively, but when he looked at his mother, he knew he couldn't lie… especially when she stared at him dead in the eye. He let out a sigh, shrugging. "We were just having a little fun, Mom. We weren't trying to hurt anyone… Besides, that guy deserved it."

"He didn't deserve _that_, Jim! He's a gentleman-"

"To _you_! The only reason he ever comes in here is for _you_, Mom, and nothing else!"

"I smell tension," BEN whispered to Morph, who nodded in agreement.

"And what's wrong with that?" Sarah questioned. Jim said nothing, and turned away from her, and she got the hint. "You don't like that I'm seeing another man. Is that it?"

"No… I don't like you seeing HIM." Jim retorted, clenching his fists and glowering at her. "You don't know what he's like, Mom! He's only nice to you, but to me…" he sighed, turning away from her once more. "Forget it. Just… forget it."

Sarah looked at her son questionably, then turned to BEN and Morph. "BEN, could you take care of the patrons, please? I'd like a moment with Jim, alone."

"Yes, ma'am," BEN said, then whispered to Morph. "This isn't going to go well,"

Sarah waited for them to leave, then faced Jim again. "Jim, what did he do to you?"

Jim only sighed, continuing washing the dishes.

"Jim…"

"He's just a jerk to me, alright?" Jim snapped, startling his mom, then eased down, rubbing the back of his neck. "I… I just don't know about him, Mom. There's just something that doesn't seem right about him."

Sarah sighed, lying a hand on his shoulder. "I know you don't like him, Jim, but he's honestly a nice man once you get to know him. Give him time, and maybe he'll warm up to you too." Jim said nothing, and Sarah smirked and put her arm around him. "And if he doesn't, then he can start having his breakfast _outside_ the Inn."

Jim turned to her, arching an eyebrow, surprised at his mother's statement. "You… you really mean that?"

She shrugged. "Well, if a man likes me, he has to like my son, too." She lightly tapped his nose. "_You're_ the most important man in my life, Jim, and no one else can change that."

Jim smiled in reply… though it faded a bit after hearing a high-pitched voice, "Tension, huh?"

He and his mother looked at each other, then walked over to the door, opening it to find BEN and Morph eavesdropping on their conversation. "Uh… hi?" BEN said, innocently.

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Tides walked over to his carriage, climbing into it… sitting next to a woman with bright-red hair, bright green eyes, light blue skin, wearing a slimming dark-purple dress with a violet trim around the neck-and-shoulder area, matching gloves, and a black hat with a red feather sticking out of it. "So…?" she asked Tides, her voice smooth with a French accent.

Tides turned to her, grinning. "She finally said 'yes'." He said, grabbing the reigns and motioning their slughorse to trot. "Tonight, I'll give her the ol' 'Cliff Tides Charm', and by tomorrow, she'll be putty in my hands."

"Do not be so confident, Clifford. You have no charm,"

"We'll see after tonight, won't we?"

"Meh."

They pulled to a stop by a boutique, and climbed out of the carriage, walking down the sidewalk to the entrance. "Of course, there IS one little problem we have to take care of…"

The woman looked at him, her eyes glowering but her tone calm. "Oh? And what is that?"

"Her son, Jim Hawkins. I won't be able to win Sarah over while he's still around,"

The woman scoffed. "Don't get so worked up. The boy is a sailor, right? He'll have to leave home _sometime_…" They entered the boutique, walking across to a back room where several mannequins of different alien-creatures stood, cloth around their shoulders and waists.

"But he'll come back!"

"Ah, but it is the course of the voyage that depends on whether or not he shall return… and I have heard plenty of stories about Mr. Hawkins' voyage to 'Treasure Planet'," The woman walked over to her desk, picking up a newspaper article.

"What do you mean?"

"Many people go off on voyages in search of something, and it often takes them a while to find it, correct? We just have to give him something to search for."

Tides scoffed, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "Oh, yeah? Like what?"

The woman smirked and tossed the newspaper to him like a frisbee, and he barely caught it, but managed to read the following headline: "_Cyborg Pirate Escapes from Prison"._

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A/N: Hands up—who all fell back in their seats?

Please review. I accept constructive criticism… but if you flame me, I'll throw you inside a barrel and send you over Niagra Falls—and NOT in a fun way!


	7. Chapter 6: Prison Breaks and Bar Fights

(rings dinner bell) New chapter! Come and get it!

**Reviewer Thanks-A-Lot**

HG96: That's a mother for you- doing what's best for her son. *pulls you back before you tackle the evil guys* And ease down! They'll get theirs. You'll see. …And I think I'd be as confused as Jim would be about your pose… Ah, what the heck! *poses heroically as well* Lets do this!

Welsh Gem: Lol, I've done that before. Prepare to increase your tingling- here's some action!

EH6: 'Holy Smoking Cannons'… lol, I'll have to use that line sometime. I'm glad I made your day!

Amalimrock: (…To tell the truth, that DOES sound fun :D) I'll reveal more of Tides' evil nature later, but I don't want to give away TOO much of his evil plot. All I can say is… lets hope Jim stops him.

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Prison on Solaris was anything but luxurious, let alone merciful. For some of the inmates who had enough misfortune to end up there, execution sounded better than sleeping on cold, steel beds; eating nothing but bland, dry stale gruel, with a glass of salted water; working 29 hours a day in the gorge (on Solaris, there was a total of 35 hours, due to the planet's slow rotation around the sun); being whipped on their bare-backs if they so much as sneezed without permission; wearing shackles on your ankles day and night, being forced to drag them with you everywhere; and the older you were, the harder your prison-time was, and the heavier your shackles became.

Only the cruelest, vile, treacherous scoundrels were sent to Solaris Prison, where there was no mercy, no exceptions, no contact with the outside world… and absolutely no escape, except for death. The only ones allowed to leave were the guards, who used special keys to go in and out of the building, unlock doors and shackles, and each had a small button on them in case of an emergency, though none of the guards ever needed to push their buttons.

Until today.

One of the security guards, a lionid about the age of 23, walked down the line of laser-barred cells, looking in at all the prisoners who lie on the stone-cold floor (which was more comfortable than the so-called beds), or sat in the corners, slowly losing their sanity and self-confidence… and he stopped at one cell, where he saw that one of their prisoners had finally cracked, hanging by a noose he constructed out of his prison-shirt. The guard shook his head, punching in the security code on the cell's lock, making the lasers disappear, and he stepped through to examine the body. "Some guys just can't handle prison," he scoffed, shaking his head. He then saw a note pinned to the prisoner's shirt- possibly a suicide note, he guessed, as he read it…

'_You can catch me, but you can't contain me,'_

The lionid arched an eyebrow at the message. "What the…?"

*Bam!*

The prisoner punched the security guard with his right hand, hard enough to knock him out. He then slipped out of his noose, and untied the knot he slipped through his belt-loop to support his weight. He then reached down and grabbed something out of the guard's pocket: a small laser-light pen, only when he shined it on a small dot of light on his shackles, they immediately unlocked. It was the key to his freedom of the heavy chains- and the only key to his freedom. He shackled the guard to his metal bed, and slipped out…

A lizardian guard happened to walk by, passing another guard, giving him a curious look at his limp. "You okay, there, Richardson?" he asked. "You seem to be dragging a bit on the left side,"

"Ah, just got finished kicking one of the scums around here," The other guard said in a gruff, low voice. "Tired me leg out, a bit."

The lizardian guard nodded. "Yeah, that's happened to me before, too… Say, you sound a little raspy. Catching a cold?"

"Er, a little bit,"

"Mm. Well, in that case, stay away from me. If you're contagious, I don't want to catch it…" he paused at one cell, where he saw that the lionid guard was unconscious, shackled… and in his underwear! He gasped and turned back to the other guard, who was already disappearing around the corner. "HEY!" He turned to another pair of guards who were making their route on a walkway across from his. "One of the prisoners escaped!"

One of the other guards, a ratidian, held up his wrist and spoke into the communication watch he wore. "All units, we've got an escaped prisoner! Initiate an immediate lockdown! I repeat, initiate an immediate lockdown!" As he said it, red lights began to flash, an alarm began to blare, and steel, metal doors slammed down in front of every door and window.

The escaped prisoner, in the meantime, ran towards a certain door and running through it, nearly getting crushed by the steel wall that slammed down to block it, and he slipped inside a room with a desk, where he pulled out a small remote with a flashing yellow button, similar to a circular device attached to his left arm. "Bingo," he said.

The guards scrambled, standing by every door and exit, laser-rifles in hand, eyes darting left and right in search for the escaped inmate, absolutely silent. They waited for any sign of the prisoner, waiting for his next move, waiting for him to reveal himself, and waiting to take him out. "Where is that bloke?" One of the guards, a canidid, asked bitterly.

His answer was given when the steel-blocked door they stood in front of blew out of its frame with a *BOOM!*, sending them flying forward! The smoke cleared, and out stepped the figure, holding up his weapon. "DOWN THERE!" One of the guards on a higher catwalk shouted, and the rest began running toward the escaped prisoner.

"Time tah go," he said, and he took off down the hall down to the nearest exit, but was stopped by several guards.

"Put down the weapon!" One of the guards, a human, shouted.

The prisoner smirked. "I'd love tah, lad, but I'm afraid I'm a little 'attached' tah it." he then held out the laser-key. "But, ya can have t'is little gadget," And with that, he pressed the button on the key and jammed it into a nearby plug-in, and the guards gasped and backed away from it.

"GET DOWN!" One of the other guards, a felinid, shouted as he dove to the floor.

The key let out a high-pitched whir, and suddenly a bolt of electricity shot out of it, surging through the outlet and causing sparks to fly out of it, until suddenly *POW!*

The prisoner used his left arm to shield himself from the electric explosion, watching as sparks flew and flames erupted- the only source of light now that the surge caused a power-outage.

And since the power was out, there was notching to power the laser-bars in front of the other cells. The rest of the inmates took this opportunity to slip out and escape. "PRISON BREA-" Some guard tried to call out, but was knocked unconscious by a burly alien prisoner.

The first escaped prisoner looked down at the guards who lay before him. "Well, gents, I'd like tah stick around, but I've got t'ings tah do," he said, then used his arm-cannon to break open the exit, running out into the dark night and crossing over to a nearby bush by the electric fence. Since the power was out, the fence was harmless, allowing the cyborg to use his mechanical hand to twist off some of its wires, making a hole and slipping through, crossing across the rocky field where a longboat was waiting for him, with a man inside.

"About time you got here," The man scoffed jokingly, helping the cyborg up. "I would've thought the 'Great Long John Silver' could manage Solaris Prison."

"Oh, can it, Finn, an' lets get goin'!" Silver chuckled, and they took off into the Etherium.

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"…An' dat's how I did it," The cyborg was saying as he and his friend, Finn, sat at a table in a bar with a couple other pirates. "It jus' goes tah show, no one can capture and contain Long John Silver… wit'-out any consequences, dat is." he and the rest of them chuckled at this.

"Boy, Silver, you must be deh first prisoner tah break out o' dat joint!" One of the pirates, a ratidian with an eye-patch, commented. He then took a swig out of his mug.

"Aye, not many fellers git outta there without a body-bag around 'em." Another pirate, a wolfid, stated. "I should know… me own dad went there!" he shook his head. "I guess that's why mum doesn't like to talk out about him… in front of her other boyfriends!" he and the rest got a laugh. Silver looked across the bar, gasping when he saw a man in a dark trench-coat and black, gray-rimmed pirate hat walk in, one of his legs making a louder thud than the other as he walked.

The ratidian pirate then leaned close to the cyborg. "So, Silver. Finn. What're yer next plans?"

"Well, we…" Finn began to say, but Silver grabbed his shoulder.

"We've got tah go," Silver said to Finn, pulling him up.

"What? But we just got-"

"Now, Finn!" Silver began to tug him toward the back exit, but it was too late.

"You!" The man in black shouted, making Silver freeze. He approached him, slowly pulling out a laser-pistol. "Leaving so soon?"

Silver turned to Finn. "Finny, ye better get down," he said, darkly facing the other man as he slowly switched his arm to a pistol. "T'is might get a little ugly."

The man shot the first laser, but Silver quickly dodged, making the blast hit a glass mug on a shelf. Silver shot back, nearly hitting the man if he hadn't ducked, making the blast hit another bar-patron. The ratidian and wolfid pirate took out their guns and began to assist Silver, and it wasn't long before everyone was shooting at someone in the bar…

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A/N: I can't help saying that the guards will remember this day as, 'the day they almost captured Long John Silver'. …There, I said it! But who is the man after Silver? What will happen next?

Please review. Do not flame, for that could cause another bar-fight. Really.


	8. Chapter 7: In Need of Assistance

I'd like to start out by saying, HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY! I'd like to give thanks to everyone- my parents for always being there, my friends for showing their support, and all of you who take time to read my stories and inspire me to keep writing. In return, here is a new chapter, and may God bless you.

**Reviewer Thanks**

HG96: Thank you for restraining your desire to strangle the antagonists… and I can so picture making Jim pose next to us. (looks at Jim, who gives a 'Can I move now?' look) lol. And, try to control your heart rate, your review totally inspired a good role for Finn! Thanks!

EH6: Oooooooooooo… not even close! But you'll find out who it is in time ;) Nice guess!

Welsh Gem: Who DOESN'T like action? (besides peace-obsessed hippies?) Like I told EventHorizon6, you'll find out soon ;)

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Jim sat on the lower rooftop of the Inn, leaning against the wall as he watched his mother climb into the carriage with Tides, a feeling of disgust lingering in his stomach, and would have felt like vomiting if his mother hadn't told him that- in order to earn her love- the man had to like him as well. The thought brought a smirk to his lips as he relaxed a little. _Tides doesn't stand a chance. _he thought, figuring the man would have to go through a major attitude change in order to win his mother's heart.

Deciding to put his thoughts of Tides on hold, he looked up at the starry sky. Ever since he graduated, he didn't spend much time on the roof like he used to, and felt at ease being in a familiar spot again (despite that the Inn had been renovated, thereby sitting on a new roof, but it still felt the same). He would always sit on the roof when he wanted to clear his thoughts- namely after getting in trouble- but now he sat up there to think, and one particular thought entered his head as he looked up at the starry sky: when will he start sailing the Etherium again? He thought about Elliot, how the young alien asked for his phone number to give to his uncle, and wondered if he would actually call for his service? One year ago, no one would ask for his help, let alone see him as 'helpful'. But now, after hearing tales about his voyage, he wondered if several vessels were seeking him out to join them on their expeditions.

Possibly.

Thinking about sailing again made him think about Silver, who basically taught him everything about sailing a ship (let alone keeping it clean). He knew a few things about sailing before then, after reading so many books on spacers during his 'Treasure Planet-obsession' phase as a young lad- and thought it funny how such an obsession changed his life for the better. Of course, finding the treasure was just a minor change, he realized, after remembering how Silver managed to shape him from a boy into a young man. _I wonder what Mom would think of him if she met him? _he found himself thinking. There were a couple occasions where he wished he could tell his mother that he had let Silver go, but decided to keep it secret for the sake of both their lives (especially since Amelia still held her grudge against the cyborg).

He did, however, tell her about how Silver helped him find the confidence he lost after his father left, bringing Sarah to wonder how the cyborg- who helped her son- could have been a ruthless pirate. At that point, Jim wanted to tell her how Silver comforted him after Mr. Arrow's death, and how the cyborg had saved his life, but decided to heed Delbert's advice and 'downplay the life-threatening parts' of his journey. This brought him to think what his mother- let alone Amelia- would think of him if he had told them.

His thoughts were cut off by frantic chattering, and he soon found Morph floating by his head. "What's up?" he asked the shape-shifter.

Morph transformed into a mini-BEN trying to extinguish a mini-fire that burst on a mini-stove. Jim rolled his eyes, then climbed down from the rooftop to assist the robot before the Inn burned down… again. _That's the last time I let him clean off the grill… _he thought.

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Sarah and Tides sat across from each other, laughing. "And then, my sister runs through the door, green gunk in her hair, screeching like a lepharian zaphwing!" Tides was saying between chuckles. "I swear, I never saw my brother run so fast in my entire life!"

"Oh, my goodness!" Sarah said, laughing a bit. "What did he do to her?"

"I don't know, and I think it's best that no one did," Tides eased down his laughter, then held Sarah's hand. "But enough about me… I'd like to hear about you and your family."

Sarah sighed, letting her laughs die down. "Well, I basically just live with my son, along with his robot-friend and our pet, Morph."

"Morph? I never heard of such a thing."

"He's a small, shape-shifter…" she blushed a little. "And, apparently the cause of your episode back at the Inn. Once again, I'm so sorry-"

"Ah, Sarah, I've told you before- it's nothing to worry about. Your 'pet' was just having a bit of fun! He wasn't TOO troublesome.

_Troublesome. _That was the word everyone used to describe Jim, and when Tides said it, his face appeared in Sarah's mind… and she remembered her promise to him. She cleared her throat. "Tides, if you don't mind, might I ask you a personal question?"

"Go ahead." Tides began sipping his water.

"What do you think of my son?"

Tides jerked a bit, nearly spewing his water, but relaxed and kept his composure. "Why, what do you mean? I think he's a wonderful chap! Especially after I heard he helped Amelia find Treasure Planet."

But, Sarah could tell from his first impression that he was lying. "Actually, it was Amelia who assisted Jim… well, after Delbert hired her. A-Anyway, he was the one who found the map, let alone saved them from the planet's destruction… especially with those pirates on board. Just ask Amelia- my son was the _real_ hero."

"Terribly sorry about the misunderstanding, Sarah." Tides said, though he didn't necessarily mean it. "That's just the story I heard from some gents at work- I'll be sure to correct them when I see them next. …But, did you say _pirates_?"

Sarah crossed her arms proudly, still trying to prove a point to Tides. "Yes, and if it wasn't for my son, they would still be loose out in the galaxy."

Tides rubbed his chin. "He sounds like one heck of a kid." he then sighed deeply. "If only I had a son like yours, I'd be the luckiest man in the universe! …By the way, Sarah- and pardon me if this is too personal- whatever happened to your previous husband?"

Sarah frowned, knitting her eyebrows and looking down at her plate. "I'd rather not discuss it." she said coldly.

Tides cringed. "I-I'm sorry." he then picked up his glass. "You know, lets just forget I said anything, alright? It's a beautiful evening, it's our first date… lets put matters aside and enjoy it, shall we?"

Sarah feigned a small smile, raising her glass to a toast. "Yes. Lets."

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The rest of their dinner-date went by slowly, and Sarah never felt happier to get home after Tides dropped her off. He went back to the boutique, where the blue-skinned woman was waiting for him at a desk, this time wearing a blood-red dress, burgundy heels, and a rose-pin that pulled her hair back. "So… how'd it go?" she asked kindly, though her gaze made it clear she wanted to hear good news and nothing but.

"Fine, though this woman may be hard to break," Tides replied with a heavy sigh, hanging his gray jacket.

"Oh, and what is the matter?" the woman's voice turned sarcastic. "Didn't use enough 'charm' on her?"

Tides sneered. "Apparently, she's not the kind who can be 'charmed', as long as she cares about her son so much." he sat down in a chair, a look of disgust on his face. "Apparently, she loves him more than that Inn of hers."

The woman then smirked. "That's perfect, then."

Tides arched an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? It's terrible! How are we going to pull off our plan if-"

"Zip it!" Tides remained silent. "Good. Now, think about it: she loves her son, yes? If he were to go off somewhere, she'd be worried sick. It would slow down her business, she'd fail to pay a few bills, then- poof!- the property is ours…"

Tides picked up the newspaper the woman tossed to him earlier that day. "And, with a little call, that Hawkins boy will be going on the longest voyage of his life…"

"Now you are getting it."

The two laughed at their devious plan, their voices echoing through the empty boutique.

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"Is the coast clear?"

"Hold on,"

A beaming red light shot out from behind the stack of crates, scanning the area.

"Aye, lets go."

Silver and Finn ran out from behind the crates toward the pier, toward a longboat that awaited them. They didn't get far when they heard the cocking of a gun, and turned to see the man in black standing behind them. His hat was gone, revealing his bearded face, sharp brown eyes, and scowl, and his shirt was torn and he bared a scar on his arm. "Not so fast, Silver. You're not going anywhere… except the gallows." he snarled, aiming his rifle at the pirate. "That is, unless I kill you first." Silver raised his cyborg arm to switch to a weapon in defense. "Don't even think about pulling out your weapons! Deactivate them, and I might take you in without shooting you… OR that kid next to you."

"H-Hold on a sec! Why are you dragging ME into this?" Finn snapped. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

The man in black sneered. "You've committed the crime of assisting in piracy."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Okay… maybe it was a tad wrong…"

He kept his gun aimed at them. "So… are you both going to come peacefully, or am I going to have to-"

*SMASH!*

A barrel landed on his head, knocking him out. Silver and Finn looked up, grinning at a man who sat on top of a stack of crates. He had gray hair and a mustache, wearing a brown baggy shirt with a dark-green jacket over it, a pair of khaki baggy pants, and a pair of black boots with a gray trim. He smiled at Silver and Finn. "Need a hand, or did I crash the party?" he asked.

"Ah, Lee! Ye came jus' in deh knick o' time!" Silver chuckled as the man, Lee, jumped down from the crates. "Fer a second there, I t'ought ya were goin' tah let us have all deh fun."

"_Right_…" The man rolled his eyes, and they fell on Finn. "What the…? Finn! What happened to you?"

Finn cringed, trying to hide his black eye. "Uh, nothing. Just got caught in a bar fight, that's all," he replied.

Silver scowled. "Got 'caught' in it? Ha! Ye practically leaped in-tah dat brawl, lad! How many times do I have tah tell ya tah stay down?"

Finn cringed, and looked at Lee. "Don't look at me," Lee scoffed. "Next time, follow his orders. You know he has a rank over you."

"Aye, sir." Finn sighed, bitterly.

Lee sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck, then looked at the man in black. "Well, c'mon men. We'd better get out of here before ANOTHER bounty-hunter shows up."

"Dat sounds like a plan," Silver said. They climbed into the longboat and flew off, just as dawn was arriving.

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Jim set down the chairs, helping his mother set up the dining room before they opened the Inn. Their work was put on hold when there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it," Sarah said, opening the door to see a female Labrador canidid, wearing a red captain's uniform. "May I help you?"

"Hello. I'm Captain Delila Chance, and I'm looking for James Hawkins," came her reply, her voice sounding British.

"That would be me," Jim said, stepping up to the door. "What do you need?"

"Your assistance. …Mr. Hawkins, I've heard your story about Treasure Planet, and I was wondering if you could assist me in a search."

Jim looked at his mother, who shrugged. "Um, sure. For what?"

Delila sighed, her gaze falling on Sarah, then turning back to Jim. "For a pirate, one I believe you're quite familiar with. He is a cyborg, who goes by the name of Silver."

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A/N: Why do Tides and that other woman want the property? And what kind of plan do they have to get rid of Jim? Stay tuned!

Please review. Don't flame, unless you want me to call in Chuck Norris!


	9. Chapter 8: Taking the Offer

Now lets see how Jim handles the news.

**Reviewer Thanks**

**HG96: **Lol, he won't exactly be 'kicked out of the house', so to speak. And, yes, Tides can be- and definitely is- evil. …but I'm afraid I'm going to have to put you in a straight-jacket 'til the end of the story, lol. Thank you!

**Amalimrock: **Believe me, it gets eviler…

**Welsh Gem: **Indeed. And, Sarah's not really stupid- flattered, yes, but she's smart enough to know that Tides isn't the man she thought he was. And lucky you for getting snow! (still snowless where I live, confound it)

**S8trgrlhinata: **Thank you! Hopefully I can keep it that way, so it doesn't end up like the other Disney sequels and flop :p …To tell the truth, I didn't realize Tides resembled Gaston until now, so yes they ARE a bit similar (gosh, I hope I don't rip-off his character TOO much). Glad you like my story!

**EH6: **Thanks so much. Though, I'll be keeping the reason of why they want to property secret for the time being, just to keep you guys pondering ;)

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Jim paced the floor, thinking about what Delila had told him. Sure, he wanted to sail the Etherium again, even see Silver once more- but joining a manhunt for the cyborg? For him, it was like a child being told to shoot his beloved pet, only he wasn't shooting some animal… he was shooting the man who helped set him straight- the man he considered a father. He glanced out the corner of his eye at Delila, who sat at a table with Sarah across from her.

"You can't be serious!" Sarah was saying to Delila. "Jim just graduated! He's too young to be going after some pirate!"

Delila let out a small scoff, sipping a cup of coffee Sarah had brought to her. "Believe me, Mrs. Hawkins, Jim isn't the youngest lad we've hired," she said. "Most boys we hire are often his age, a few who were barely 14. …But, we leave them on more mercenary duties than manhunts. The reason I request Jim's services is because he's had experience with pirates, let alone the one we're going after now, so I have faith that he can assist us and help us figure out where the bloody cyborg would go." She looked out the corner of her eye at Jim, who had his back to her. "That is, IF he's willing to join us."

Jim sighed, scratching his head. He knew that if he refused, the canidid captain would become suspicious, and question why he didn't want to search for the cyborg. Worse, of course, was what his mother would think, coming to realization that he still cared about Silver despite his mutiny. And if he DID decide to go, what would he do if they caught up to the cyborg? If he caught him alone, he could help Silver escape and tell the others that the pirate had eluded him, but if he were accompanied by others, chances are he would freeze, knowing that it would either be help Silver and let his secret out… or betray the cyborg.

Also, if he decided to join, who would help his mother with the Inn? BEN wasn't very coordinated on his own, then there was the thought of Tides coming in day after day to see his mother, possibly staying longer if he were gone…

"Well, Mr. Hawkins?"

Jim snapped out of his thoughts, facing Delila and his mother. Sarah had a sad look in her eyes, obviously tense about the thought of her only son traversing the galaxy after a criminal, and Delila had a stern, impatient look in her eyes that reminded him too much of Amelia, awaiting what his response would be…

…and he decided to take the risk. "Alright. I'll go," he finally said, releasing a deep breath.

"Jim…" Sarah gasped, standing up abruptly.

"Mom, listen. I've handled Silver before, and I'm the only one who can handle him," _Without being shot, I mean. _he added quietly in his head. "I'll know what to do once we encounter him."

Sarah sighed, rubbing the back of her neck and shaking her head. "I just don't want to see you get hurt…"

"I won't, Mom. I'll find Silver, and come back… just like last time." he gave her a reassuring smile. She smiled a small smile back, her eyes almost watering.

"Very well, then." Delila said, clearing her throat and standing up. "We shall be departing within 3 days. I shall meet you at the spaceport then. Until that time, good day, Mr. Hawkins." And she walked out the door, leaving Sarah and Jim together, looking at each other, noticing a hint of uncertainty in each other's eyes.

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Elsewhere in the galaxy, a lone longboat hovered above a deserted meteorite, tide down close to a small camp. Silver, Lee, and Finn sat by a fire, absolutely quiet. Dawn was breaking, and they were exhausted from their close-call, but knew they couldn't stop here. Not until they entered another galaxy, outside their jurisdiction, where they could start-over… and avoid the gallows. Of course, they also realized that they needed to save as much as their energy as possible, if they were going to make it that far.

Finn strummed a guitar. It was a copper-colored instrument with bronze-colored strings, and a black ink-design that resembled a rose, and he carried it in a chrome-like redwood case on his back, taking it wherever he went. He played a few notes, staring into the flames. "So, where do we go from here?" he asked the two men in front of him.

Lee let out a sigh. "Anywhere, as long as we can avoid being caught," he said, lying down and resting his head on a chunk of rock, staring up at the stars.

Finn looked at Silver for another explanation. "Hard tah say. Wit'-out a crew or ship, we won't be getting very far fer t'is trip," the cyborg said, lifting his cyborg leg and tightening a couple bolts, switching his cyborg arm to a clamp to do so.

Finn nodded, still strumming his guitar. Silver looked at his two comrades. He had met them after Jim had let them go, and the three of them had been traveling ever since. He thought they would have left him after he had gotten caught and sent to Solaris Prison, but luckily Lee had some connections with the inside- how, he never said- and had given him the information he needed to escape. Silver figured they owed it to him, after what he had done…

"Well, which one of you lads wants to take watch, tonight?" Lee asked, stretching a bit, giving off the hint that he wasn't willing to do it.

Silver and Finn looked at each other, both of them developing sly smirks. "Once…" Silver began.

"Twice…" Finn added.

"Shoot!" both of them said, sticking out their hands above the flames. Silvers hand (organic hand, to be specific) was bent into a fist with the thumb sticking out, while Finn's hand was bent to look like a pistol.

"Ah, star-bomb beats laser-pistol, Finny," Silver said, chuckling. "Looks like ye got watch-duty tonight," He lied back, turning onto his side.

"Drat," Finn muttered, looking at his gun-point. He sighed and sat on a rock, strumming his guitar, watching the two men before him drift to sleep. Things were quiet, save the sound of his strumming and the crackling of the flames.

And the silence made him tense. He continued strumming his guitar, his eyes gazing out at the cratered scenery of the meteor. _I wonder how long it will be like this, _he thought, letting out a sigh. _On the run, having to find a place to stay hidden each night, doing odd jobs to earn enough money to eat…_

"Some pirate's life for me," he muttered. He set his guitar back into its case and stared upward at the stars. "Wonder what kind of sleaze-ball we'll run into next,"

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The next three days passed by too quick for Sarah, as she stood by the station, watching her son board the interplanetary bus to head to the space station. "Goodbye, Jim. Be careful!" she called to him.

"I will." Jim said, giving his mom a final wave before climbing onto the bus, disappearing in the crowds.

Sarah sighed, tears forming in her eyes. Morph chattered and turned into a tissue, wiping her eyes. "Oh, thank you, Morph."

"Jimmy, wait!" BEN's voice cried out, followed by his metallic footsteps. "I want to-"

The bus shot off, and the robot nearly toppled over the edge if Sarah hadn't caught him.

"…Say goodbye," The pupils in his eyes dilated, and he began to bawl. "Ah, I missed him! I can't believe my best-buddy took off without waiting for me to say goodbye! Wah-haaaa!"

"Don't worry, BEN… I'm sure he'll write to us. You can say 'goodbye' to him then," Sarah said, patting the robot on the back.

"(sniffle) Okay…" He looked back up at the sky, watching the bus shrink further into the distance. "DON'T FORGET TO WRITE, JIMMY!"

Sarah rolled her eyes and put her arm around the robot. "C'mon, BEN, lets go home," She looked at the robot, noticing that his expression still remained heart-broken. "Don't worry, BEN. I'll still need your help at the Inn, and you can help me set up the celebration once Jim returns."

"Celebration!" Morph repeated, turning into an explosion of confetti.

But BEN's spirits didn't lift, as he looked down at the ground sadly. "(Sigh) If it makes you feel better, he didn't take Morph either."

"Didn't take M-" Morph froze, and then his eyes began to water. He then turned into a rain of tears, falling into Sarah's cupped hands. "Wah-haaaa!"

"Oh, I miss him already!" BEN wailed along with Morph.

Sarah sighed, becoming irritated. She was going to miss Jim too, and was on the verge of crying as well… that is, until BEN and Morph started, and she knew she wasn't going to try to beat them in a tear-competition. "Alright, boys. C'mon, we've got to get back to the Inn," she said, tickling Morph back into his original shape and giving BEN a nudge, making them head toward the carriage.

She walked behind them, pausing a bit to look back, silently praying that her son would be alright.

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A/N: Next chapter, Jim's voyage takes an interesting turn, and BEN and Morph find something that takes their minds off their friend.

Please Review. Those who flame shall face the wrath of my killer bunny.

Killer bunny: rawr!


	10. Chapter 9: Slander

Hello, lovely readers. After a few days of thinking up ideas, I bring you the next chapter!

**Reviewer Thanks**

**LaylaBinx: **Oh, you feel sorry for them now, just wait 'til later! And thank you ^-^

**Welsh Gem: **Wait no more!

**Amalimrock: **(looks up 'titular' in dictionary) Ah. Thanks! And, yes, things will be getting a LOT more interesting *nudge nudge wink wink*

**HG96: **(yanks bunny back on leash) Down boy. She ain't flaming! …Anyway, thanks a lot, for you have inspired yet another idea- for their game, at least :D And calm down! Finny doesn't know Jim yet, so he wasn't exactly calling him- er, that name. Besides, he said it, I didn't! …And they might become best friends… though they may be something more ;) I shall say no more!

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Finn, Lee, and Silver climbed into the longboat quick. "Hurry, hurry!" Finn said, throwing his guitar-case in and throwing himself in next. "It's gaining on us!"

The ground shook, and a large, multi-eyed, green, four-legged creature ran towards them. "Ye had tah land us here, didn't ya?" Silver snapped at Lee.

"Me? YOU were driving!" Lee retorted.

"Guys, less argue, MORE ESCAPE!" Finn yelled, seeing the monster was just a few feet away from a meal.

"Yeah, yeah, we're going!" Lee scoffed, grabbing the thrusters.

"Who says you're drivin'?" Silver sneered, pulling the thrusters out of Lee's hands.

"Because I know that we'll be safer with me driving- and not parking on a meteorite with a starving beast!"

"..Which is right next to us!" Finn cried out.

Lee jerked the thrusters, making the longboat go left and causing the monster's jaws to miss it by inches. "I'm driving!"

"No, I'M drivin'!" Silver snapped, pulling the thrusters to the right, just in time for the monster to snap at them and miss again.

"I'm better at navigation, which means I'd be a better driver than you!" Lee jerked the thrusters back to the left, and the monster snapped at the spot where the longboat used to be a second ago.

"It's MY longboat, therefore I'm deh only one who should drive it!" Silver pulled the thrusters back to the right, and the monster snapped at air again. It paused, holding still, making sure the boat wouldn't move again.

Lee shoved Silver. "Unless you're in prison! I'm driving!"

Finn looked at the monster, seeing it lick its lips and open its jaws over the boat.

Silver shoved Lee back. "Do ye see me behind bars? I'm driving!"

Finn pushed himself between them and grabbed the thrusters. "Can it! I'M driving!" he then shot the longboat forward, right as the monster snapped its jaws one more time.

The monster watched them fly off, then snapped its fingers angrily.

Silver and Lee looked at Finn, who just glared ahead. "Next time, settle your differences BEFORE we become dinner," was all he said.

Silver and Lee looked at each other, then shrugged. "Sheesh. It's not like we didn't have it handled," Lee muttered.

"Well, ye didn't. I did." Silver said, chuckling.

Lee scowled. "You did not! That monster would have been on us in seconds if I hadn't-"

"Oh, it's always about you, isn't it?"

Finn rolled his eyes, then shot the longboat forward and hit the brakes, making the two older men jerk forward. "Now, if you two kids are done arguing, how 'bout we find a place to sleep? A place _without_ monsters would be nice," he said.

The two men scowled, resting the side of their faces on their fists. "Whatever," Lee scoffed.

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Jim boarded the ship, _SSR Starburst, _looking around at the different aliens that were crewmembers of the vessel, most of them resembling the pirates he had dealt with in the past, only not as ugly, and seemed less menacing. One looked exactly like Mr. Onis, though at a second glance he noticed the long eyelashes and bright purple eyes, and realized the alien was female. He let out a heavy sigh. It had only been a year since he had to face off pirates, but he still couldn't shake off the memory of them- especially that one who tried to kill him twice…

He shook off the memory. _Don't think about it, anymore. _he told himself. _Stay focused on the mission. _…Of course, being focused on the mission caused him to lose focus, knowing that he'd have to hunt down-

"Ah, Mr. Hawkins. I'm glad you decided to join us," Delila said, stepping up and shaking his hand, clearing him of his thoughts. "I'm sure you are prepared for our voyage?"

Jim grinned, trying to hide his uncertainty. "Sure." he said with a shrug.

"Good. I've decided to rank you as a sailor… rather than a cabin boy," She chuckled, and Jim knew for sure that she heard about the last rank he had. She cleared her throat, then. "Well, come along. I'll need you at the helm,"

Jim followed her, unleashing a deep breath as he grabbed onto the helm. _This is it… no turning back. _he thought.

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Sarah rushed from table to table, clearing one off while serving another. "Mrs. Hawkins, can we get some extra napkins, please?" An eagledid requested.

"Yes, Mrs. Taberinth. I'll get you one right away!" Sarah replied, while serving three burly spacers their meals. "There you are, gentlemen."

"Excuse me, Sarah, I need a re-fill on my pearapple juice…" An elderly elephanid said in a raspy voice as Sarah passed by.

"Coming right up, Roger,"

"Mrs. Hawkins, you wouldn't happen to have any rooms available, would you?" A blonde-haired woman asked.

"Yes. I'll be with you in a minute…"

Sarah ran in a triangle- grabbing napkins and handing them to Mrs. Taberinth, filling Roger's glass with juice, and running up to a desk outside the dining area and having the woman sign in her name and handing her a room key- then ran back to the kitchen, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Are you okay, Mrs. H.?" BEN asked as he stood by the grill, cooking.

"Just a little exhausted, BEN. I'll be fine," Sarah replied. Morph turned into a cloth and allowed her to wipe the sweat off her head.

As if the Benbow wasn't crowded with enough customers, Tides came along, buying a newspaper from the local paper-boy, then walked in, sitting at a nearby empty table, looking at his newspaper. His gaze fell on one article, and he didn't know whether to be shocked or joyful. "Oh, my…" he gasped, then leaned over to a moss-green skinned, four-tentacled alien who sat at a table by him, trying to eat his soup. "Have you heard of this?"

"Huh…? W-What?" The alien sputtered, dropping his spoon and glaring at Tides, then looked at the article. "What's it about?" He studied the article, arching an eyebrow. "Huh! This is something…" he took the newspaper from Tides.

The local paper boy walked into the Benbow with a stack of newspapers, taking out the old ones and replacing them with the new ones, leaving them for the customers to pick up as they came in. He headed out, looking over his shoulder and smirking at the sight of the patrons looking over the article in disbelief, some of them even arguing with one another about whether it was true or not.

"This couldn't be true! …Could it?" A frogid woman gasped.

"Well, it sort of makes sense…" An old canidid said, rubbing his chin.

"I could have sworn it was true. So many people said so!" A purple-skinned, brown-haired alien said.

"Aye… but it says they hid the truth," An orange-haired, stout alien replied.

Elliot, the little elephanid, stepped inside, just in time to see the commotion. "What's everyone talking about?" he asked, seeing one patron crumble up the newspaper and toss it to the floor. Curious, he picked it up and unfolded it, gasping when he read the title:

**Cabin Boy's Tale Fraud!**

_**After hearing the tale of Jim Hawkins, and how he found Treasure Planet, sources indicate that the young teenager stole credit from Captain Smollet, who was the real hero who found the treasure. Hawkins was knocked unconscious during the mutiny of the pirates, leaving it up to Smollet to handle the situation herself…**_

Elliot didn't read the rest, glaring at the article. "No! It's not true! It can't be!"

"What's going on out here?" Sarah demanded, stepping out of the kitchen once hearing the commotion.

"Tell your son to get his story straight!" One patron snapped, shoving the newspaper in Sarah's hands. Several others passed by, walking out the front door and muttering bitter remarks about the newspaper, while only a few stayed behind, re-reading the article over-and-over.

Sarah looked at the article, her jaw dropping. "Who wrote this?" she snapped out loud. She ripped the newspaper in half, grunting angrily. The remaining patrons either walked outside or went back to their rooms, knowing that it wasn't a wise decision to be around Sarah when she was upset. She sighed bitterly and sat down, her face in her hands.

Elliot walked up to her, seeing tears form in her eyes. He had never seen an older woman cry before, so he was rendered speechless.

"What kind of monster would write this?" Sarah asked in a whisper.

Elliot looked at his feet, then back up at her, resting his hand on hers. "Mrs. Hawkins, if it makes you feel better, I don't believe that story." he said.

"Neither do I," Tides said, approaching Sarah as he crumpled up the newspaper. "Whatever scumbag wrote this should be hung for such libel! Fooling your customers and everyone else out there…"

Sarah sighed and stood up. "I think I'll close early…" she said, her eyes flooding with tears. Tides nodded and he walked out. Elliot looked at her one last time and followed the man out, his head hanging low. BEN and Morph watched from the kitchen, their expressions sad as well.

Tides walked to his carriage, where he sat next to the 'paper-boy', who took off her disguise, letting her red-hair fall down. "And you thought that old printing-press wouldn't come in handy," she chuckled.

Tides grinned. "Now we'll see what everyone says about 'The Great Jim Hawkins' now…" he said.

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A/N: As I wrote this chapter, I've developed an incredible urge to kill off one of my OC (you can guess which one).

Please review. Don't flame, otherwise you can work with Tides! (oh, I am so evil…)


	11. Chapter 10: Deep in Thought

Good golly, this story got a lot of reviews fast! (…good golly? Who _says_ that, anymore?)

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Welsh Gem: **Oh, trust me. She will.

**Lori: **YES! I am SO going to write a story about that! (please PM me for more ideas, k?)

**HG96: **…Guess. Lol. And deny those scary thoughts! They'll be friends- JUST friends- what I meant was that they'll find out something that'll change their lives. I'd say more, but I don't want to give away any upcoming plots. And, to tell the truth, making Tides that evil was pretty easy. I just thought of one thing he could do to make Jim's life miserable, and that was spreading rumors (the most typical way to scar someone's rep) And don't worry 'bout the language, it's okay (just try not to get out of control, lol). And Elliot will be seen a couple more times, though I don't have too big a role for him.

**EH6: **I do my best ^-^ I'm glad you like how Silver and Lee deal with each other (let alone Finn having to shut them up), and fear not for Tides and that woman WILL pay. Oh, yes. They will pay. _Dearly_.

**LaylaBinx: **I don't want to increase your blood pressure, but… it gets worse. :p

**Rin Koorbloh: **(didn't know there were that many colors). Thanks!

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It had been almost three weeks since the search began, and with every stop they made to every town to question almost every loathsome scallywag or barkeeper, Jim began to feel anxious. Delila would meet with other search-vessels to discuss which routes to take to which planets, all the while asking whether anyone's picked up a trail, while Jim would remain quiet, sitting on the highest mast and looking out at the galaxy, wondering where Silver was…

…and trying to figure out a way out of having to catch him. "Well, this is some trip…" he muttered, as he sat in the shrouds one evening on watch-duty. Everyone was either asleep or lounging around in the galley, save one sailor who stood at the helm, so it was a bit safe for Jim to talk to himself. "The first voyage I'm hired for after almost a year, and it requires me having to hunt down a good friend." he looked up at the stars above sighing, full of uncertainty. "Man, Silver, what am I going to do?"

"You could join me for a conversation, if you'd like," A voice behind him asked, startling him.

He turned around. "Delila? …Er, I mean, Captain? What are you doing out here? I thought you were in your quarters."

Delila walked up to the side of the boat, gazing out at the galaxy. "The universe always brings forth unsuspected events, especially in the starlit hours of the night. Sailors like me can never sleep until we're positive everything is at ease… Sometimes we never sleep."

"That must get aggravating."

"Yes, but that's what coffee is for. …So, tell me, Mr. Hawkins," she turned and faced Jim, giving him an inquisitive but suspicious glance. "What kind of association did you have with Silver?"

He shrugged, avoiding her glance. "Captain Amelia set me up as his cabin boy. That's all."

"Is it, now? Because, I've had to transfer a few prisoners before, and I couldn't help but hear a rumor that you and the cyborg were close. _Very _close."

Jim tensed a little, but remained calm. "Not really. It's hard to be close to someone who drives you like a slave."

"Mm. I heard he did more than that. I heard stories about how you used to be a troublemaker,"

Jim's eyes widened and he faced her. "How…?"

"…Did I find out? My brother, Daniel, is on the police force, and used to bring up how some renegade from Montressor always got into mischief, and Amelia's husband, Doctor Doppler (I believe you know him), brought up a discussion at the Benbow's re-opening that you took a few wrong turns before finding the map. I simply put two-and-two together."

Jim sneered and shook his head. "I wonder how hard it would be to keep Doc's mouth shut…" he muttered to himself.

"I'm sure Amelia has found ways of doing that. …But, back on the original subject. I couldn't help but wonder: 'How could such a rebellious teen turn into a hero?'. I considered the fact that, in order to take on pirates, one must unleash a bit of rebel within themselves. I spoke with Amelia, asking what kind of effort it took to turn you into such an explicit sailor, and was a tad surprised when she said, 'I just put that notorious pirate, Silver, in charge of him.' …I suppose being stuck with a pirate fixed a bit of character in you, perhaps."

Jim nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, that's it." He was hoping this response would be enough to end the conversation.

But, as she studied his expression, the glint in his eyes, Delila could tell there was more. "How did he do it?"

"He just… made me do a lot of work. Taught me how to deal with life, better."

"…Taught you responsibility, you mean?"

"Right."

"Hmm, doesn't sound like something a pirate would do, especially one who plotted mutiny. …From what I heard- this coming from the hooligans I had to transfer- he came to like you." Delila arched an eyebrow, waiting for Jim's response. He said nothing, turning his gaze away, and she got the hint. "…But, they're just rumors. I doubt that fiend could ever find the heart for a fine young man like yourself."

Jim sighed. "I guess not."

There was a pause between them for a moment. Jim knew Delila was trying to get more information out of him- why, he didn't know just yet. She turned her gaze away from him, warily looking at him out the corner of her eye, sensing some emotion he was hiding, but didn't push the conversation any further.

She cleared her throat. "Well, I suppose I should head to my stateroom and check our course. Inform me if you spot anything, Mr. Hawkins."

"Aye, captain." Jim said. He listened to her footsteps as she headed up the deck, then let out an aggravated sigh, furrowing his eyebrows as he clenched his fists.

He wanted to tell her- to tell everyone- that Silver wasn't the kind of pirate they thought he was, and try to call off the manhunt. But he knew he couldn't. They would think he was defending him just to elude them, pinning him as an accomplice to the cyborg then locking him away. …Or figuring he had a soft spot for the pirate, thinking he wouldn't pull through with the mission and sending him home, allowing stories to spread about how the 'heroic cabin boy' didn't have the heart to track down a treacherous pirate, making people criticize him.

…Just like how Scroop criticized Silver.

He climbed down from the shrouds, just in time for one of the other sailors to walk up to him to fill in his post. He went down to the hull and opened up the hatch, letting in a breeze as he climbed into a longboat. It was a habit he had developed during the voyage, whenever he wanted to be completely alone with his thoughts, and being in the longboat brought back good memories that distracted him of his uncertainty, though they also prodded at the idea of what he should do once they caught up with Silver.

_IF we catch up with Silver. _a thought occurred to him, just then. After all, if Silver could escape a highly strict institution like Solaris Prison, there was a chance that no one would be able to catch him that easily.

The thought relaxed him, and he lied back in the longboat, shutting his eyes as a smirk appeared on his lips.

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Finn lied back in the longboat, staring up at the stars. Lee was asleep next to him, while Silver steered the longboat, looking for a place for them to rest. The young boy couldn't sleep, though… he could never sleep while they were on the run, knowing that somewhere beyond the serenity of the Etherium someone was out to catch them and drag them to the gallows, or shoot them on sight. Or worse.

He was used to these thoughts keeping him up at night, ever since he and Lee met Silver and got in trouble with the law. He thought back to the time before he met the cyborg, how he and his family lived on a ranch on a rural planet, full of slughorses, lizarickens, and a big blue oxensteer. And his mother…

She was a beautiful woman, with jet-black hair, beautiful green eyes, and fair skin. Everyone back said Finn looked like her, which made it hard for him to look at his own reflection after she had passed away. His father was a sailor, and they only saw each other every few weeks, which hurt Finn a bit when he would watch his father take off. After his mother's decease, his father decided to take him with him on his travels, selling the ranch and making Finn's new home a ship.

It wasn't so bad, until one day during a supernova…

"Ye awake, Finny?" Silver asked in a whisper, noticing that the boy's eyes were open.

"Y-Yeah. Just thinking." Finn replied, blinking a few times as if coming out of a trance.

"'Bout deh usual?"

"Pretty much."

Silver nodded. He never wondered what Finn thought about, because he knew. He wanted to get off the lam, be a regular kid, settle down somewhere and just… go home.

"Git some shut-eye, lad. We've got a long trip ahead o' us." Silver said.

Finn sighed and shut his eyes, but didn't go to sleep. For some strange reason, sleep just wouldn't come to him.

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A/N: Exciting chapter coming up next… hopefully… I don't know. We'll see.

REVIEW, PLEASE! But don't flame.

Also, you can visit the TP forums and check out the 'Benbow Inn' forums to discuss ideas, hopefully inspire something I could put in.


	12. Chapter 11: Bioelectronic babysitter?

To write another chapter, I could not help to do. :D

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Welsh Gem: **I do believe you're right. ;)

**HG96: **Thanks, though I had some inspiration after reading other TP stories. And I always try to make my villains as cool as possible, so they seem more realistic. I'm glad you like Finn, and you'll find out he and Jim will have a LOT more in common. I'll try to include more descriptions of Finn, too, though I was hoping that describing his mother and saying he looks like her would help.

**LaylaBinx: **Thanks! ^-^

**Amalimrock: **Trust me, it gets more interesting, and thank you.

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Back on Montressor, in the Doppler household…

"…And it is highly recommended that you join us, Captain Smollet." An alien with brown-gray skin, yellow eyes, and four arms, wearing a spacer's uniform, was saying- only it was more of a hologram of the alien, being shown on a telephonic communication device. He addressed her as 'Smollet', knowing that- whether she was married or not- she would prefer her maiden name when being addressed as a captain.

"I see." Amelia said, her expression serious. She straightened her posture. "Very well. I shall see to it that we join you on your mission, Captain Ronaldo."

"The Galactic Navy thanks you, ma'am." With a solute, the hologram disappeared, shrinking back into the device.

Amelia sighed, then walked into the study, where Delbert was sitting by a warm fire reading a book, while the children sat on the floor, looking at holographic images in a small picture-book, ranging from strange-yet-adorable looking creatures to different kinds of flowers. Delbert had organized his books, so that they were more on shelves than piled up, after Amelia recommended that he tidy up (it was more of a critical remark, claiming she didn't want to raise her children in a house where they could be buried in an avalanche of encyclopedias). As she looked at the scene, it was hard to tell her husband the news she received.

"Who was on the holo-phone?" Delbert asked once he saw her step in.

Amelia took in a deep breath. "Please restrain your blood-pressure, darling, but… it appears we've been recommended to join a search-voyage." she replied calmly.

Delbert's eyes widened, and he leaped out of his chair, running up to his wife and holding her hands. "You mean… we'll be sailing again?" he sounded more excited than Amelia expected. "Oh, this is wonderful! Traversing the galaxy once again, discovering different things, finding specimens only seen in books- it'll be fantastic!"

Amelia's expression turned critical. "Doctor, I hate to burst your bubble, but the voyage is going to be more of a manhunt for a ruthless criminal. …And, you overlooked one, small, detail."

Delbert arched an eyebrow. "What would that be?"

Amelia gave a small sneer, and pointed at their children. Alice was now trying to pin Derek on the floor, while Amy and Ashley had a tug-o-war fight over the book.

Delbert's eyes widened in realization. "Oh…" he then cleared his throat. "Well, it shouldn't be a problem. We could have my parents watch them!"

"Doctor, forgive my following statement, but I wouldn't leave my children in the care of your parents if they were the last species in the Etherium. Your mother isn't too fond of my daughters, anyway."

Delbert considered this, then rubbed his chin. "I suppose your parents are out of the question, too, the way they scowl at Derek…" he then snapped his fingers. "What about Sarah? She could do it!"

Amelia rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, dear, she's already has her hands full with the Inn. The last thing she needs is to baby-sit our children."

"Alright, how about Jim, then?"

Amelia unleashed another sigh. "He won't be able to, Doctor."

"Why not?"

Amelia gave him a solemn look. "Because… he's joined the manhunt, as well."

Delbert's expression turned to surprise. "What? Why… how…? They honestly let a young man like Jim join the search for some ludicrous scoundrel?"

"Apparently. …Especially since that ludicrous scoundrel happens to be that blasted cyborg, Silver." Amelia's fists clenched, giving her husband the hint that she was ready to get her hands on the pirate if- or when- they caught up to him.

"Oh. Well, I suppose that makes sense. After all, Jim spent most of his time with Silver in the past, so he knows more ways on how to find him, I assume…" He looked at Amelia, clearing his throat a little. "I suppose it would be too much to ask for if we decline the offer?"

Amelia walked over to the fireplace, picking up Ashley when the young redhead held up her arms to be held, and she faced the burning embers, cradling her daughter gently. "I know it's a risk, but I cannot turn down the offer. Somewhere out there, some pirate is wreaking havoc- the one pirate who managed to escape my grasp, and I've had trouble sleeping in the past, thinking about what would happen if he burned down our home… or got his hands on our children." she turned and faced Delbert, concern in her eyes. "Delbert, I don't want my children to go out in the world with that fiend running loose."

Delbert was taken by her words, not only because he, too, was concerned for their children's safety… but also because she called him 'Delbert' for the first time. He then let a heavy sigh, and nodded. "Alright, Amelia. Alright." he replied, standing beside her, putting his arm around her. "But, who will take care of the children?"

Both parents looked at each other, thoughtfully. There was one other choice, though they weren't sure they were that willing to take it… but they knew they had to.

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"Hidey-ho, Dopplers!" BEN exclaimed as he walked through the door, carrying a small duffel bag, while Morph floated beside him. "I hope you don't mind, but Morph wanted to tag along."

"Hello!" Morph chirped, giving a small wave.

"Alright, their food is in the kitchen on the top shelf," Doppler said to the robot as he grabbed his bags.

"Derek is allergic to carratatoes, keep him away from those," Amelia added.

"After lunch, put them down for a nap- oh, and they like having a snuggy-toy…"

"It'll keep them from being fussy, and don't let them nap past two."

"They eat every 4 hours…"

"No meals after eight, though. Otherwise they'll be up all night."

"They like a bedtime story…"

"And they are to be asleep by nine, not a minute later."

"If you need help, call Sarah…"

"And do not let anyone but Mrs. Hawkins indoors. And I expect to have our household organized and intact the way it is once we get back." she gave Morph a look. "And, um, I expect your shape-shifting friend to be housetrained, otherwise keep him outside."

"Hmph!" Morph scoffed, pouting.

"You can count on us, Amelia." BEN said, saluting the felinid. He waved at them as they walked out the door. "Have a nice trip! Good luck on the hunt! And don't forget to bring the kids back some souvenirs! They'd love that!"

Amelia gave Delbert a look. "Are you sure that rambling metal-man is capable of taking care of children?" she asked him.

"Don't worry, they'll be fine." Delbert assured her.

"Be sure to bring us back one, too!" BEN called.

Amelia gave Delbert another look. "I also advised Sarah to check up on them, every hour or so."

Amelia sighed. "I hope we're not asking too much from her… It's probably hard enough for her to deal with Jim being on this dreadful mission." she said.

"And be sure to write!" BEN called once again.

"Actually, when I spoke with BEN, he mentioned that things had been running slow at the Benbow, lately." Delbert said. "Not many customers have been coming in."

Amelia gave him an inquisitive look. "Really? I wonder why…" she replied.

"Something about some rumor- he said it was too sickening to bring up,"

"Oh! AND TELL JIMMY I SAID HI, IF YOU SEE HIM!" BEN shouted.

Amelia and Delbert sighed, then climbed into their carriage, praying that their children would be alright with BEN… and that their house would still be standing.

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A/N: Okay, I lied. The NEXT chapter will be more exciting! Promise!

Please review. No flames are necessary… (raises axe) Really.


	13. Chapter 12: Unexpected Surprises

Man, I must be doing a good job, since I keep getting more new reviewers. Which brings us to…

**Reviewer Thanks**

**LaylaBinx: **Glad you're still loving it!

**HG96: **Don't worry, I won't count it as flaming, since I nearly popped a lung from laughing while I read your review. I know, crazy that I set BEN up as the babysitter, but I already have plans for the other characters, and I was curious on what would happen if BEN took up that responsibility and that it will add some comedy relief to the story- plus, I have a crazy imagination ^-^

**Rasah Salem: **Thank you very much. I try to imagine this as an actual sequel to the movie, and I'm trying to involve a little classic Disney magic- clever villains, family-oriented moments, and an attention-grabbing plot. Hopefully I'll be able to keep in touch with the original material.

**Amalimrock: **Thank you. HERE YOU GO! :D

**Welsh Gem: **Oh, they won't be the ONLY ones in for a surprise ;)

**EH6: **Yay, I made you laugh! :D And yes, now that they've joined the search, things are about to take a drastic turn… for Silver, at least XD

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Jim opened his eyes, realizing that he must have dozed off in the longboat. A strange feeling had awakened him, and he climbed out and headed for the stairs, running on deck. He paused, listening to the sounds of the night. The wind was blowing, a couple manta birds hovered above, and the ship creaked as it moved through space… but something still felt wrong. He walked across the deck, trying to figure out what had aroused him from sleep, passing the crew's quarter's as he did…

…and that's when he smelled the smoke.

He rushed down the stairs, covering his mouth with his shirt to avoid breathing in any smoke, and strained his eyes to see through the dark clouds. "What happened?" he said, uncovering his mouth to speak, then covering it again and coughing out smoke. He heard sounds of coughing, mixed in with a few snickers, and tried to see who was down there, only managing to make out a few silhouettes… and an orange-ish glow. "Is anyone down here? (cough) Someone, speak up!" He then stumbled upon a spacer, who's lungs had filled with smoke. "How did this happen?"

"Jim, run… (cough) It's a muti-" the spacer tried to choke out.

"Gotcha!" A gruff voice said from behind him, grabbing him from behind and holding a knife up to his throat. "Don't move, boy, and don't make a sound…"

Jim kicked his legs behind him, striking his attacker in the shin, then elbowed him in the ribs once the knife was moved away from his throat. Quickly as he could, he ran up the stairs to warn Delila.

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Silver, Lee, and Finn came across a lone vessel, sailing through the stars. "Anyone feel like playing their stowaway cards?" Lee asked, pulling up to the vessel.

"Are ye daft? If we stowaway, someone's bound tah catch us!" Silver scoffed.

"Ah, but the key is to keep from _getting_ caught, my dear friend."

"I'm with him. Let's hide on board… maybe it'll take us further to our destination." Finn said.

"Or, it could give us a one-way trip tah deh gallows," Silver sneered. "Trus' me, lads. I've seen a few men dat tried tah stowaway on a vessel, an' ended up getting skewered."

"Then they weren't very crafty. As for us, we're clever enough to know how to sneak on board, and being as visible as ghosts in a thick fog."

"Plus, I can see a good reason why this ship is worth stowing away, on." Finn said.

"Oh, an' what's dat?" Silver questioned.

Finn pointed upwards. "They left the hatch open!"

Silver rubbed his chin. "Not a good sign when deh hatch is open t'is late… Somethin' doesn't seem right, gents."

"Let's just scope it out." Lee scoffed. "Some idiot probably just forgot to close the hatch. C'mon, Silver, this is probably the only break we'll get!" He moved the longboat up toward the hatch.

Silver shook his head. "T'ere's somethin' up, I tell ya…"

"I'll check it out, then." Finn suggested, grabbing onto the edge of the hatch and pulling himself into the hull.

"Finn! Get back down here!"

"Don't worry. I'll be back. Wait here, just in case." he then took off.

Silver let out an aggravated sigh, putting his face in his palm. "Dat boy is gettin' tah be a stubborn pain in deh neck…"

"Yep. Well, I guess that's what he gets for hanging out with you," Lee joked, earning a glare from Silver.

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*Bam! Bam! Bam!*

Delila sat up in bed, startled by the pounding on her door. "What in the universe…?" she demanded, pulling on her robe and opening the door. "Mr. Hawkins! You'd better have a good explanation for this!"

"Captain, there's a mutiny in progress. Someone's set fire to the crew's quarters!" Jim said frantically, almost out of breath.

"What?" Delila stepped out of her room and looked down at the main deck, where she saw a few of her spacer's running on deck, bearing weapons and shouting. "Ah, blast it!" She ran into her stateroom and came out with two pistols, tossing one to Jim. "Quick, we must get to the longboats! …If we can make it that far." She cocked her pistol, ready to fight her way to the hull.

Jim grabbed her, pulling her back into her room. "I have a better way of getting there." He locked the door and cocked his pistol, shooting the floor and making a hole- something he picked up from Amelia. "C'mon!" He and Delila then jumped through the hole, running through the storage deck towards the hull.

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Finn was heading toward the stairs, but froze when he heard footsteps. He was too far from the hatch, so he had to find a place to hide. Acting fast, he dove behind a couple crates, watching as a lizardian and a roachid came down, walking across the other catwalk. "Close the hatch!" the roachid ordered, his voice sounding Scottish. "Scarlet doesn't want anyone to escape!"

"Right." The lizardian said, sounding female. She pulled the lever, and the hatch slowly began to close.

"No," Finn gasped. He heard more footsteps and ducked down, watching as a door flew open, seeing a canidid and teenage boy run toward him.

The teenager froze. "Crud," he gasped.

The canidid whipped out her pistol, shooting at the two aliens. "Quick, to the lifeboats!" she called.

"Stop them!" the roachid bellowed, ducking behind a barrel and shooting back at the canidid.

Finn took this opportunity and ran to the closing hatch. "Finn!" Silver and Lee shouted.

"I'm coming down!" Finn called back, taking his guitar case off his back and throwing it down to them, preparing to jump next.

"Hey!" The lizardian shouted, grabbing Finn and yanking him back from the edge. "What are you doing here?"

Finn kicked her in the stomach and scrambled away over to the lever, pulling it upward. "Trying to get out of here, that's what!"

"Oh, no you don't!" The lizardian raced over, pulling it down, though Finn kept a good grip on it and kept yanking it down. The two soon started wrestling with the lever, pulling it up and down.

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Jim raced over to the longboats, leaping into one and preparing to shoot at the cables-

*Wham!*

The lizardian tackled him, making him hit the metal catwalk. "Don't even think about it, you welp!" she snarled. "Captain Scarlet doesn't want anyone to escape… especially _you_."

"I'm coming down!" someone called, and the lizardian leaped off of Jim and went after the unknown voice.

His chest ached from her tackle, but he shook it off and got on his hands and knees, seeing that a teenage boy was now fighting over the lever with the lizardian. He saw his laser pistol over by the edge, and crawled over to retrieve it.

…managing to peer over the edge and see a familiar face. "Silver?" he called.

The cyborg looked up, surprised to see him. "Jimbo?" he gasped.

"Hee-ya!" the lizardian shouted, kicking the other teenage boy away from the lever and yanking it down- then snapping it off its panel! "Now lets see how you guys escape!"

"NO!" The other teenage boy shouted, rushing over and peering down as the hatch began to close, the space too thin for him to jump through.

"SILVER!" Jim and the boy both shouted together.

Delila, in the meantime, managed to shoot the roachid in the face. Having a heavy exoskeleton, the alien didn't die, but instead was knocked unconscious. "Mr. Hawkins! Open the hatch!" she shouted.

"That won't be possible, without this piece of the puzzle," The lizardian chuckled, holding up the lever then tossing it aside.

"I'm getting out of here!" the other boy stammered, running across the catwalk and toward the stairs.

"No, wait! Don't go that w-" Jim tried to warn him, chasing him toward the stairs…

…just in time for a small bronze oval mechanism with a blinking light to roll down in front of them. The light was flashing green, then began to flash orange. "Oh, no…" Delila gasped.

The light then rapidly began blinking red. "GET DOWN!" Jim grabbed the boy and pulled him away-

*KA-BOOM!*

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Sarah wiped down a table, trying to keep it from collecting dust. "I can't believe it," she sighed. "In just one month, my Inn goes from full to half empty… all because of some rumor."

Only two customers sat in the dining area, while others lounged around in their rooms. It used to be where people had to wait in line to get a table, and had to reserve a room ahead of time. Now, only few people came in for one meal, and the only people who rented rooms were travelers, who only stayed one night. Many people loved to come and enjoy a home-cooked meal, and some out-of-college students would rent rooms ASAP for a place to stay, until they were able to settle down. …But, not anymore.

Amelia and Delbert had requested BEN's service in watching their children (something Sarah couldn't understand, along with the rest of the universe), and asked her to check up on the robot if she wasn't too busy. …Of course, the parents hadn't realized that business wasn't exactly booming lately, and Sarah had more free time than she wanted to admit. "Maybe I should help BEN babysit." she said to herself. "Yes… he may need a little help, anyway." She walked over to the holo-phone to contact BEN and inform him of her visit. She waited for the line to connect until a hologram of BEN- holding Ashley- appeared.

"(Ashley, stop pushing my buttons!) …Oh, hi Mrs. H.!" BEN exclaimed, holding Ashley back from his abdomen. "How's it going?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing. How's the baby-sitting job?"

"Ah, it's just great! Morph and I are (cut it out!) getting ready to put (Amy, don't push your sister!) the kids down for a (Morph, get Derek away from the fireplace!) nap!" There was a *crash* in the background, making BEN (and Sarah) jump. "Waugh! ALICE, PUT THAT DOWN!"

"Do you want me to come over? I could help-"

"Oh, no no no! You take care of the Inn! Morph and I- ACK!- got it under contr- DON'T TOUCH THAT!"

Sarah sighed. "You sure you don't want me to stop by, maybe bring you some oil… and a helmet?"

"No, that's okay! Really! Delbert has a helmet up in his room, anyway! …Er, gotta go, Sarah. (Amy, Derek! Don't mess with tha- AUGH!)-" And the connection was ended.

Sarah heaved a great sigh, then grabbed her jacket. BEN was very confident in his work, she knew, but he tended to need a little assistance- and Morph wasn't enough. She walked over to the door and opened it-

-seeing Tides leaning against the doorframe. "Hello, Sarah." he said, smoothly.

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A/N: …Anyone still alive from the suspense? If so, please review. If not… eh. …Flame if you want to go *ka-boom!* as well.


	14. Chapter 13: Well, THIS is Awkward

Alright. Time to ease your suspense… a little.

**Reviewer Thanks**

**LaylaBinx: ***shoots arm up, giving you the devil-horns 'Rock' sign* Thank you. I do my best… (gosh, I hope you're still breathing)

**HG96: **AUGH! (grabs hospital shockers) CLEAR! *ZAP!* (revives you) Whew! That was close… I hope you didn't bite your lip TOO hard (I did that once. Not fun). Tides, as we all know, IS up to something dark and dangerous, though thanks to your review we might have a bit of comedy relief from the tension ;D

**Welsh Gem: **I can't say much for Delila and Jim, though Silver may be fine (since he wasn't on the ship, thankfully). ….And, no. No he won't, lol.

**EH6: **If you think THIS chapter was epic, wait 'til you read the rest of 'em ;)

**Amalimrock: **I'm sorry about the confusion. Hopefully I'll try to do better in future chapters.

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"Tides! What… what brings _you_ here?" Sarah gasped, backing away a bit as Tides walked in.

"Just came by to see how my favorite Inn-owner is doing," Tides replied with a smirk. His smirk faded as he looked around at the Inn. "Though, I'm shocked to see that you have empty tables. Usually when I walk in, I can hardly see the floor! …Is something wrong?"

Sarah sighed and shook her head. "It's just been a little slow, since Jim joined a voyage." She didn't want to bring up the rumors- it was more hard mentioning them than hearing about them.

"Ah, I've heard about that. A lot of folks really adore your son." He walked over to a picture of Sarah holding a five-year-old Jim in her arms, both of them smiling- the picture being ruined by Tides' reflection. "It's no wonder no one comes in much. Probably not until he gets back, I assume."

"Or until we get that rumor straightened out." Sarah said out of the corner of her mouth.

Tides whipped around, smiling a sly smile. "What was that?"

She smirked, innocently. "Nothing. …Um, were you going to have something for lunch?"

"Ha ha ha, not today, Sarah! You see, I come baring an offer. BEN- though a good cook- can be a bit of a handful, and I doubt that little pink pet would be of much help, and you've been working here without a break for years." he leaned in close, whispering in her ear. "And I can tell that rumor has affected your business."

Sarah didn't look at him, keeping a poker-face. "And how does this relate to your offer?" she asked rhetorically, knowing where he was going with this.

He shrugged. "I just figured I could be of help… maybe bring up your Inn at my company, bring in new customers, and- maybe, part-time- be your business partner."

Sarah's eyebrows furrowed a bit- she could tell where he was going with this. "Well, Tides, that's a lovely idea…" She said kindly, and started guiding him toward the door. "I might take up your offer…" She opened the door and shoved him out.

"Waugh!" Tides yelled, missing a step and falling face-first into a mud-puddle.

Sarah glared at him. "When Helios 12 freezes over!" With that, she slammed the door. She was fuming, and turned around to see that the only two customers she had were staring in disbelief- then quickly went back to their own business.

Tides lifted his face out of the mud-puddle, shaking the muck off his face and seeing a pair of red high-heels attached to blue legs. "Way to go, Doctor Love, you blew it." The woman said. Today, she wore a long-sleeved red dress that came to her knees, and a red-rose barrette on her head, though her beauty couldn't distract from the scowl on her face.

Tides sneered and stood up, brushing himself off. "I will get this Inn from Sarah- even if I have to pry the deed out of her cold, dead, hands!" he snarled.

The woman rolled her violet-purple eyes and climbed into her carriage. "You've got ze whole plan wrong, Clifford. You cannot just ask her for the Inn once things run slow… you've got to wait until things get worse,"

Tides scoffed. "How could things possibly get worse?"

The woman gave him a mock grin. "Sabotage." She grabbed the reigns and made a clicking sound, smirking at Tides' stunned expression. "I'll leave you to think about it. I've got some other business to take care of," With that, her carriage rolled off.

Tides rubbed his chin, a small grin appearing on his face. "Sabotage, eh?"

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"The nerve of that guy!" Sarah griped to herself. "He honestly thinks that, just because some rumor is causing my business to run slow, that he thinks he can try to get me to- ugh!" she shook her head, walking into the kitchen. She took a deep breath and leaned against the counter. "Jim was right… Tides isn't the man for me."

She rubbed the back of her neck, feeling the chain of her locket. She opened it, deciding to look at the holographic memories and cheer herself up. Her decision was good, for the scenes of Jim, Delbert, Amelia, the Doppler children (and even BEN!) warmed her heart.

The last image came in, of her young teenage-self and her old high-school lover. The image was still staticky, and began to flicker until it finally turned off automatically. Sighing, she closed the locket, then grabbed her jacket and headed out the door to check on BEN, Morph, and the Doppler children (all of whom she hoped were alright- especially the children).

As she walked, she paused and looked up at the sky. "Oh, Jim… I hope you're having better luck than I am." she said.

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The smoke cleared and Jim crawled out from behind a pile of smoldered crates, coughing and holding up his laser-pistol. "Delila! (cough) Are you alright? Speak to me!" he called.

"Ohh…" a moan answered, and the brunette teenager ran over to a silhouette buried under a stack of fallen rafters. As the smoke cleared, Jim saw it was Delila. "Mr. Hawkins…?"

"It's alright, Captain. I'm here," he knelt beside her.

"Why…?" she coughed, breaking her sentence.

"I don't know why the crew would cause a mutiny, Captain. (cough) I didn't see it coming, either."

"Why… didn't you tell me you were so close to Silver?" her tone was cold and suspicious.

Jim paused. In a serious situation like this, the captain was asking about the cyborg? "C'mon, we've got to get you out of here…"

"Don't (cough) try to hide it, James. I've heard (cough) enough stories to know about (hack) your association with… the… (cough) cyborg… you…" her voice trailed off as she fell unconscious.

Jim remained silent. He grabbed one end of the lumber on top of her, and one-by-one began to pull them off of her. He then pulled her up and dragged her over to a space behind an overturned, busted-up longboat, using his own jacket as a sling for her crooked arm. "I assure you… it's not what you think it is." he said to her, even though she couldn't hear him. He then headed for the stairs, which were charred but- hopefully- stable. He was about to climb them, until another moan caught his attention.

He turned around, seeing the strange teenage boy he briefly encountered earlier, lying against the wall with a barrel leaning on him. He looked up at Jim. "Hey… mind giving a guy a hand? (cough)" he grunted, trying to get up.

Jim ran over and pulled the barrel off of him, then grabbed him by the shirt-collar, his blue eyes glaring into his green eyes. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"Who'd like to know?" The boy sneered, until Jim held his laser-pistol up to his temple. "Ah, I see… Alright, friend's call me Finn."

"Did you take part in the mutiny?" …Jim knew it sounded ridiculous, since he had never seen the boy on the ship before, but figured he might have had an outside connection.

"Mutiny? I didn't even KNOW about any mutiny until you said something!"

Jim scoffed. "Oh, really? What were you doing on the ship?"

"Why should I tell you?"

*Click*

Jim coked the pistol. "Okay, good point. I was stowing away. Me and a couple friends of mine have been sailing in a longboat for weeks, and we needed to find a more spacious place to stay. Since there wasn't a port nearby, we decided to take vacancy- temporarily- on your ship."

"Who are your friends?"

Finn tensed. "I… I can't tell you."

"Tell me, or I'll blow your brains out!"

"Alright! Alright! Sheesh… but first, you HAVE to promise me NOT to mention their names to anyone."

"Sure. …Now tell me!"

Finn took a deep breath. "One is an older man with gray hair, named Lee. And the other…" he bit his bottom lip.

"Go on…"

Finn let out a heavy sigh. "The other is a cyborg… called Silver."

Jim's eyes widened, the memory of seeing Silver and some other man sitting in a longboat below the hatch. "You… you know Silver?" His tone was calm now, and he lowered the pistol…

…getting elbowed in the stomach by Finn. "See ya!" he ran toward the stairs.

"HEY!" Jim shouted, running after Finn, chasing him up the stairs-

And freezing when they saw a couple of the mutinous spacers on board. "See? I TOLD you he might've survived!" The first one, a snail-like one who resembled Mr. Turnbuckle but had a Russian accent, scoffed.

"Whatever! Just grab 'em!" The other, a bull-dog canidid, sneered. They both raised their weapons, approaching the two teenagers.

"Way to go, genius. You got us trapped!" Finn snapped.

"What?" Jim snapped back.

"Just come with us, lads, and we won't hurt you…" the canidid said.

"Yeah, we're not going to kill you… we're just going to kidnap you!" The snailid chuckled.

*WHAM! BONK!*

Someone hit the two mutineers over the head with a guitar case, and they fell to the floor unconscious. Behind them stood a man with gray hair, a mustache, and a stern expression. "Don't you have anything better to do than go looking for trouble?" he asked Finn.

"I don't know… didn't you have any other weapons other than my guitar case?" Finn counter-asked, tugging his guitar case out of Lee's hands and looking it over for any dents or scratches.

"Hey, it was the only thing I could-" Lee stopped in mid-sentence, staring in disbelief at Jim, who gawked back.

Jim clenched his fists. "YOU!" he shouted, storming up to Lee. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing… Oh my gosh! Are you alright?" he put a hand on Jim's shoulders. "You're not hurt, are you-"

But Jim smacked his hand away. "Oh, so NOW you care about me?" he shoved Lee, pushing him to the ground.

"Hey! Back off, man!" Finn yelled, stepping between Jim and Lee. "What is your deal?"

"None of your business!" Jim shoved Finn out of the way and glared at Lee. "Where have you been? Where did you go? …Why did you leave?"

"What are you talking about?" Finn turned to Lee. "Who IS this kid?"

Jim looked at Finn. "How do you know him?" he turned back to Lee. "Who is this?"

"Hey, I asked first, pal!"

"Well, I have a better right to know!"

"What makes you think…/You don't know what he's done…/ Maybe if you told me…/This is between me and him!/Well if it includes him, then it includes me!/What?" Both teenagers started snapping at each other.

"Uh… boys?" Lee said, sheepishly.

"NOT NOW, DAD!" Jim and Finn both yelled at him, then turned to each other. "As for you-" they froze, realizing what the other just said. "What?"

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A/N: Looks like Lee has some explaining to do! XD

Please review. Flames… suck.


	15. Chapter 14: Torn Between Two

Time for some explanations!

**Reviewer Thanks**

**StormBringer128: **I'll develop it a little bit more. Silver's reaction MAY be a little unexpected, though lets stay focused on Jim's reaction for now.

**Amalimrock: **Lol, yeah, I like putting in unexpected moments ^-^ And you're welcome

**LaylaBinx: **Yeah. Whoa. *closes your jaw*

**EH6: **Whoa, don't do THAT! Take it easy… slow, deep breaths now… Though I'm glad that caught your attention so well.

**Welsh Gem: **Jim didn't get hurt too bad, and Silver will be alright. Sorry about your cold, hope you get better- and yeah, I have trouble comprehending stories in the wee hours of the morning, too. :p As for Tides' plans for sabotage… you'll see ;) And thank you!

**HG96: **…I'd like to say at this point that I love your guys' reactions to Jim having a brother lol. Glad you liked Sarah's epic moment! (and tell your brother to hush up, you're reading a good story!) And tell your bf that he's welcome that I saved your butt, rofl.

Also, _**Bold/Italic **_print will be Lee's narration. You'll see why.

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Silver had just finished taking care of the rest of the mutineers. Once the hatch had closed on him and Lee, the two men leaped into action and soared up to the deck, just in time to see a few spacers trying to make off with cargo and weapons, and they decided to split up and take them down separately- Silver taking the ones who were snatching weapons, and Lee going after the cargo-robbers. Silver- having a well-powered arm-cannon- managed to 'persuade' the sailors into surrendering ('persuading' meaning that he threatened to blow them all to Kingdom Come), and threw them in the brig, tied, gagged… and possibly stunned at the sight of the cyborg.

"Now tah find Jimbo," Silver said, walking up the stairs, seeing Lee, Finn, and his old friend. "Hey-"

"What do you MEAN 'Dad'?" Jim was snapping at Finn, not noticing Silver just yet.

"What you mean 'What do I mean'? He's my father!" Finn replied sharply, shoving Jim. "Why did YOU call him 'Dad'?"

"Because he's MY father TOO!" Jim shoved Finn back, and the two of them began trapping each other in head-locks.

"Ooh, t'is doesn't look good…" Silver said, cringing.

"BOYS, STOP IT!" Lee shouted, pulling his two songs apart. "Listen, I can explain…"

"Oh, so after all these years, NOW you want to explain things?" Jim yelled, then pulled Finn up to his father. "Why didn't you ever tell me about… _him_?"

"Yeah, how come you never told me I had a brother?" Finn demanded as well.

Lee took a deep breath. "Well… you see… I, uh…" he tried to say, rubbing the back of his neck.

Jim scowled. "Forget it." he muttered, releasing Finn. "You've betrayed me all these years… why should I expect you to tell the truth now-?" He turned to trudge away, but bumped into someone…

…Silver. He looked up at the cyborg, gasping, while the pirate simply looked at him in sympathy. "I guess t'is is a bad time fer a reunion." Silver said bluntly. Jim sighed and looked off to the side, and the cyborg put his organic hand on his shoulder, then looked over at Lee and Finn. "We can discuss t'is matter later, lads. Right now, we've got tah git out o' here before deh Galactic Patrol catches up tah us." he looked back down at Jim. "Do ya… want tah come along, lad? We could give ye a lift home."

Jim shrugged, saying nothing. They began heading to the longboat, until he paused. "Wait… what about Delila?" he asked.

"Who?" Finn asked.

"The captain. She's still down in the hull!"

"We'll bring her up," Lee said, trying to keep his tone firm, though it was hard with the look Jim shot at him when he spoke. "(ahem) We'll put her in her stateroom. She'll be easy to find, there."

Jim sneered. "Figures you'd want to abandon someone…"

"It's better than having her see our faces and haul us to the gallows!" Finn retorted.

"Aye, they're right, Jim. If we take her, we'd be givin' ourselves away," Silver added. "Besides, I t'ink she would prefer being found in less, ah… _convicted _hands, don't ya t'ink?"

Jim sighed bitterly. He thought about the dangers of leaving Delila… then suddenly remembered her many questions about his acquaintance with Silver, and the suspicions she had against him. If she were to see both of them together, her suspicions would only increase, and he would have no way of clearing Silver's name on his behalf, if he got the chance. "Alright, fine." he finally said.

They found Delila in the hull, still unconscious, and took her up to her stateroom, leaning her against her desk, placing a well-charged rifle in her lap. Silver went back to the main deck and tied-up the unconscious mutineers, dragging them down to the brig, while Lee and Finn went down to the crew's quarters to drag any surviving, loyal spacers on the deck. Jim was about to leave, but knew it didn't seem right that he was leaving the ship and abandoning everyone…

…but he knew that this was possibly the only way he could help Silver escape- let alone get some answers out of his father.

Finding some paper and a pen, he wrote a message to Delila, placed it in her lap, and finally took off.

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They traveled far enough from the ship and came across a barren, sandy field of a planet, camping just a few miles outside a large city. Across the moonlit, sandy light-blue sand dunes, the city lights glowed brightly, illuminating different colors that blended into the starry night sky and brightened the shadows of the sandy hills.

It was quite a sight, though the small group didn't pay much attention. Rather, they sat around their campfire, Silver using a knife-tool part of his cyborg hand to widdle a piece of wood, Finn holding his guitar in his lap but not strumming a single string, while Lee and Jim just stared at each other- though Jim's look was more of a glare, while Lee's look was made up of guilt.

"So… why did you leave us?" Jim finally asked at last, his tone calm but cold. It was the one question that bugged his mind for years, so it was the first question he wanted to be answered.

Silver arched an eyebrow, giving Lee a suspicious look, knowing that he was the 'leaving and never coming back type' as Jim had told him… and was also curious about the reason. Finn even gave his father a sharp, yet inquisitive, look as he mentally demanded answers.

Lee sighed, bowing his head. "I guess there's no use in hiding it any longer." he said quietly to himself, then looked at Jim. "You see… it started years ago, before either of you were born…"

~Flashback~

_**I was a young spacer, always ready to sail the Etherium and seek out new things. And, one of the many things I've discovered was love.**_

A young Lee is walking off a deck. He looks almost like Jim, but with brown eyes, shorter hair, and a thin beard. He looked around at the port…

_**My ship had stopped on Montressor, where I met her… the most gorgeous woman I had ever seen.**_

He did a double-take, taking a glance at a young girl with long brunette hair, blue eyes, and smiling as she walked down the street, carrying a basket of bread and fruit. She looked over at Lee and smiled wider, while he gave a lopsided smirk, blushing at the sight of her.

_**I felt as if Cupid struck me with a thousand arrows, and I wandered off and followed her to the restaurant where she worked- back before she owned the Benbow.**_

Lee looked through the glass of the restaurant, watching Sarah serve customers. His gaze softened as his smile grew, unable to take his eyes off her.

_**I went into that restaurant almost every hour of the day, just so I could see her face, hear her voice… and catch her smile.**_

_**It wasn't long before we started courting, and we spent every minute with each other, telling each other about our lives, our families, and our life-goals. It was magnificent…**_

A few days later, Lee and Sarah sat on top of a hill, watching the sunset. He put his arm around her and she lied her head on his shoulder, both of them easing into their romantic rendezvous.

…_**That is, until a few weeks later, when my ship had to set sail again.**_

Lee began boarding his ship, pausing when he heard someone calling out his name. He turned around, seeing Sarah running towards him.

_**It was hard to leave her. **_

Lee leaned over the edge of the ship, calling something out to her as the tears fell down her face. He then made a heart-gesture with his hands, holding it out to her. Her tears continued to fall, but she smiled and returned the gesture.

_**I promised her that I would come back, no matter how long it took, and that I would cherish every moment we had. I had a feeling that she was the one for me…**_

_**That's when we arrived on Zelphius, a planet almost two months away from Montressor. While we docked there, I began to explore my surroundings, walking past a shop- just in time to see another woman.**_

Lee walked down the sidewalk, looking down an alley and seeing a woman with black hair, green eyes, wearing ragged clothes and being beaten by a burgundy-skinned, three-eyed, muscular alien who held a steel club with neon-blue rings around the fat-end of it.

_**She happened to be a seamstress… a highly abused seamstress. And, being the renegade I was back then, I couldn't handle seeing a woman get hurt.**_

Lee ran up to the alien, pushing him away from the woman. The alien snarled and smacked him back, making him hit the wall. But, he didn't say down and grabbed a trash-can, throwing it at the alien's head… only making it angry.

_**I planned on saving her…**_

The alien grabbed a large dumpster and held it over his head, ready to throw it at Lee… but ended up getting hit in the back of the head, losing grip on the dumpster and having it land on his head, knocking him out.

…_**But, in a twist, she ended up saving me.**_

Lee looked over, grinning when he saw the woman holding the club the alien had been holding before. She grinned back, shrugging.

_**Apparently, she was more strong than she seemed. I decided- after handing her abusive manager over to the authorities- to hang around with her for a little bit.**_

Lee and the woman watched as two android cops dragged the alien out of the alley and threw him in the back of a hovering jail-car, watching it take off. The two smiled at each other, and the woman hugged him tightly.

…_**But, for some reason, we decided to become more than friends.**_

A couple days later, Lee and the woman sat at a table in a café, their silhouettes shown through a window as they leaned in for a kiss.

Two weeks later, the woman started waving to Lee from a pier, a white handkerchief in her hand, while Lee stood in the shrouds of his ship, waving back and blowing her a kiss, which she returned.

_**It wasn't until after I left that I realized that I had become like the other spacers on the ship: ending up with a different girl on a different planet. It was a truth I wanted to deny, but couldn't…**_

_**That is, until I was reunited with my first love. She told me that she managed to purchase enough property to build her 'dream inn', and I believed that her achieving her life-long goal was the most unbelievable news I could ever hear.**_

Lee returned to Montressor, and visited Sarah in the restaurant where she worked, and she shows him holographic blueprints to the Benbow_**. **_Sarah rubs the back of her neck and holds Lee's hand, as her face becomes solemn and she stares into his eyes, telling him the news he didn't expect to hear.

…_**That is, until I returned to Montressor and found out your mother was expecting you, Jim.**_

Lee immediately fell back, fainting.

_**Her parents didn't take it well, wanting their daughter to be wed to a man who didn't leave every few weeks and not return for months to come… but on Sarah's behalf they let it be… **_

Sarah argued with her mother, who sighed and shook her head… while her father grabbed Lee by the shirt-collar, shaking him vigorously.

…_**and let me live.**_

Lee kissed Sarah on the cheek, walking onto his ship. He turned around and gave her the heart-gesture again.

_**The wedding was set for the spring, which meant I had three months to sail before then, and I planned on visiting my friend on Zelphia and breaking the news to her- even though she would probably break every bone in my body.**_

Lee steps onto the pier and is immediately greeted by the other woman, who pulls him around the corner and whispers something into his ear.

_**Unfortunately, she had her share of news as well.**_

Lee fell back fainting… again.

_**She had been raised as an orphan, so I didn't have to face the wrath of any in-laws. **_

Lee sat with the woman in the café they had been in earlier, as she shows him a holographic image of a farmland that is up for auction.

_**She told me that she planned on living on a ranch and raising livestock to help support her new family-to-be. I didn't have the heard to tell her 'no'.**_

The woman is then pointing to a date on a holographic calendar, smiling.

_**She wanted to have a wedding in the spring, but I smoothly convinced her that we should have it in the summer, so it wouldn't coincide with my 'other' plan.**_

Lee frantically waves his hands and shakes his head no, then calmly points to a different month on the calendar. The woman shrugs and nods in agreement.

_**I had two weddings that year. Just when I thought the worst was over, then came the 'delivery'… and as if fate were messing with me, you both were born on the same day!**_

Lee stands on the pier, sweating nervously. He runs toward his ship, then pauses and runs toward the Benbow, but freezes. He scratches his head, unsure of where to go.

_**I knew I had to choose who to be with…**_

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"So… who did you choose?" Finn asked.

Everyone looked at Lee, waiting for his answer.

Lee looked down, sighing with guilt. "Neither." he replied, sadly.

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_**It was a big mistake, I knew- possibly the biggest one I'd ever make!- but I couldn't choose between the two of you, and I couldn't be in two places at once… so I just boarded my ship and took a week-long voyage. **_

Lee stood on his ship, looking over the edge at Montressor as it grew smaller in the distance. He looked down sadly, feeling the pain of guilt in his heart. He then took out a mobile holo-phone and began punching in numbers.

_**I contacted both your mothers, telling them that I was unable to make it because my launching was delayed due to weather-conditions, and I stayed at a hotel that night… guilt eating me alive.**_

On Montressor, Sarah cradled an infant Jim in her arms, staring out at a picture of her and Lee together, letting out a sad sigh.

On Zelphia, the other woman held an infant Finn in her arms, looking out the window at the stars, bowing her head in sorrow.

Lee lied down on his bed, curling into a fetal-position, his face twisting into an expression of shame as tears squeezed out from his eyes.

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"You mean, you skipped out on our births, just because you were afraid of disappointing someone?" Finn snapped at Lee.

"Too bad I'm used to it," Jim scoffed sarcastically.

"I know… I thought it was the worst choice I could ever make. I was gone for weeks from one family, just so I could visit the other." Lee replied, then looked at Jim. "That's why I seemed so tired when I came home. It was hard trying to take care of two families." he looked at Finn. "And the more time I spent away from either of you, the more I wished I could just take you both on a voyage, tell your mother's the truth and… just… try to fix the mess I made." he looked down in shame.

"So, why didn't you?" Finn asked.

"I tried… when the chance came." Lee stared into the flames. "The chance came… in a way I wished it didn't…"

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_**It came on the day when I received a call from Zelphia, from a friend of your mother's, Finn.**_

Lee looked at an image of a tentacled alien with one eye, wearing a dress and bonnet, telling him news over his mobile holo-phone, his eyes widening and tearing up. …Sarah is watching from the doorframe.

_**Your mother, Jim, had over-heard the message, and demanded why someone from a far-off planet was contacting me about the death of 'some woman'. That was when I finally told her the truth… That was the night we got into a fight, and it lasted 'til dawn. I finally told her that someone else needed me now… and to take good care of our son… and I took off.**_

Lee and Sarah argue over the matter, unknowingly being watched by Jim.

A month later on Zelphia, a young 10-year-old Finn is standing by his mother's grave, tears welling up in his eyes, until he felt a hand on his shoulder, and looks up to see his father.

_**It was another decision I had to make: which son to take care of, and I knew I couldn't skip out on either, this time. …And I chose the one who needed me the most.**_

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Lee stared into the fire, sadly. "I wanted to bring Finn to our home, Jim." he said. "But, I knew that would have been a mistake…" he lowered his head, saying nothing more.

Finn angrily strummed his guitar, unleashing some out-of-tune notes (let alone startling everyone), and glowered at his father. "So, that's all I am, huh? I stupid mistake?" he shouted.

"No, Finn, I didn't mean it like th-"

"Just go ahead and admit it- if I wasn't born, you wouldn't had to have dealt with Mom, leave Jim behind and… ugh!" he tore his guitar off his back, threw it into its case, and swung it over his shoulder. "Forget it." He then began walking off.

Jim glared at his father once-more, then began walking off as well, in a different direction. "Jim, wait, I… Finn, I didn't mean…" Lee sighed, then bowed his head in shame. "I'm so sorry…"

Silver sat there, speechless, watching the two boys walk off. He shook his head and stared down. "Jus' when we thought deh worst was over, new problems arise," he sighed. He looked at Lee, who had his face in his hands, and his frown deepened. "Well, what're ye gonna do, Leland? Yer not jus' gonna sit there an' let two o' yer own genes walk away, are ya?"

Lee sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know what to do, Silver…" he replied.

Silver rubbed his chin. "Well, if I were you, I'd be doin' something tah earn their forgiveness, an' win back their trust."

Lee remained silent, then stood up and began walking off as well. "I need time to think."

Silver sat there, watching the shell of a man walk across the dunes. He sighed and stood up, shaking his head. "Ah, blast it… do I have tah do everything around here?" he muttered, then began walking off in the direction Jim was going.

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A/N: …Talk about drama, eh? …Also, if some characters seemed a little OOC, I apologize.

Please review. Flames are not needed, so there's no need to send them… unless you want to be hit by a semi.


	16. Chapter 15: Father and Sons

Time to ease down on the tension _just _a bit. …And put in a song! :D **Lyrics will be in bold print like this!**

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Silverwolf407: **Thanks. I try to keep my stories interesting.

**HG96: **He DID try to do what was best, not realizing that he was hurting the ones he cared about. Glad you enjoyed it.

**LaylaBinx: **Thanks. I plan to ;)

**EH6: **Thank you, and no need to wait any longer. Glad you liked Silver's reaction, lol.

**Welsh Gem: **It's not very easy taking care of two kids from different families (a good divorce lawyer could tell you that). …And yes. Silver ALWAYS has to do everything! XD

**Amalimrock: **Man, everyone is feeling sorry for Lee (and the others)! I wasn't really expecting many replies like that. …And I'm SO glad no one seemed OOC (namely the real main-characters), and yes Finn has black hair- but it's not really short. It's kind of like Jim's in the first movie, only with an actual pony-tail than a rat-tail.

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Lee walked across the desert, sorrow sweeping over him like the wind over the sand dunes, feeling ashamed of the mistakes he had made… especially the ones that hurt his sons. He looked up at the blue moon that lit up the desert, wishing that he had told the truth and avoided all this. As he did, memories washed over him, and he wondered- if he had the chance to change the past- what it would be like…

**It's not time to make a change**

**Just relax, take it easy**

**You're still young, that's your fault**

**There's so much you have to know**

_A young Lee sat next to a young Sarah who was only 7 months pregnant, feeling her stomach, smiling at her as he felt their baby kick. _

**Find a girl,**

**Settle down,**

_He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold chain, then picked up a small locket that sat on the table and looped the chain through it, then put it around Sarah's neck. She smiled, then kissed him._

**If you want, you can marry.**

**Look at me, I'm old, but I'm happy.**

The memory faded, and he found himself looking at a tye-dye fluorescent-like snake slithering by and into a hole, but it didn't bother him. He sighed, and continued walking.

_Lee sat on the hill with Finn's mother, who was only 3 months pregnant at the time. Being in a playful mood, she grabbed his sailing hat and put it on her head, mimicking him. He rolled his eyes and tried to grab it, but she stood up and ran around behind a tree, forcing Lee to chase her._

**I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not easy**

**To be calm when you've found something going on**

_He finally caught her, wrapping his arms gently around her waist from behind, and pulled her into a sitting position. She chuckled, and their lips joined in an embrace._

**But take your time, think a lot**

**Why think of everything you've got**

Lee stopped and leaned against a rock, looking at a pile of rubble that stood at the base of it, and he hung his head low, trying to figure out how he could have left behind one of his boys in choice of the other. He covered his face with his hands, realizing the shallow decision he had made…

**For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.**

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Finn came across a path that led up a rocky mountain. He held his guitar and began walking up, strumming a few notes as he did. Looking at his guitar, he couldn't help but wince, remembering who had given it to him…

_A young 5-year-old Finn is sitting with his mother, practicing playing a small guitar while she held a larger one with a black rose design inked into it. The holo-phone rang, and she got up, telling him to keep practicing. He kept strumming a few notes, until he got the tune right. He heard the front door open, and eagerly ran up to Lee, strumming the strings and showing him his progress. But Lee only felt his forehead and asked him to keep it down, then walked over to the sofa, moved his wife's guitar, and sat down, not noticing Finn's disappointed expression._

**How can I try to explain, when I do he turns away again**

**It's always the same, same old story**

Finn sighed, looking up at the stars, seeing a distant ship sailing by, which triggered another memory for him.

_An 11-year-old Finn is mopping the deck. He pauses and looks over at his father, who gives him a smile before walking below deck, but is shoved by another sailor. Finn glowers and shoves the sailor who shoved Lee, only to get pushed to the ground and ordered to get back to work. He sneers but grabs his mop, obeying. He looks over the edge at a family walking along the port, feeling envy towards them._

**From the moment I could talk, I was ordered to listen**

**Now there's a way and I know I have to go away**

Finn looks down sadly at the sand dunes below him, then turns and continues walking, still strumming his guitar… still lost in his thoughts.

**I know I have to go**

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_Lee and a 7-year-old Jim sat on the hillside, looking up at constellations, as the young boy kept showing his father all the ones he learned about in school. Lee only nodded, letting out a yawn, feeling exhausted after coming home from his voyage, and slowly drifted to sleep. Jim turned to him, ready to point out another constellation, but froze when he saw his father had fallen asleep, and quietly sat there, looking up at the stars._

**It's not time to make a change**

**Just sit down take it slowly**

**You're still young, that's your fault**

**There's so much you have to go through**

_Finn stands, strumming his guitar and singing a song to a couple of girls, who smile and clap at his performance. A sailor calls his name, motioning to get back on the ship, and he lets out a heavy sigh, nodding the girls farewell as he walks up the gangplank, and they wave and smile at him. He smiles back, but once he turns around his smile fades. He wanted to get to know the girls better, but he knew that with every port they stop at, he never manages to make a friend to keep. Lee stands next to him, noticing his sad gaze and looks back at the girls, who already began to walk away. He shrugs, wondering what was bothering his son, not realizing what he secretly wanted._

**Find a girl, settle down**

**If you want you can marry**

**Look at me, I'm old, but I'm happy**

**(Away, away, away, away, I have to make this decision alone-no)**

Lee sighed, realizing how foolish he had been- he had let both his sons' childhoods zip by, barely taking a part in them. As he walked, he paused when he came to a mountain in his path… and seeing two paths that ran up it, noticing both his sons walking on either side, heading toward the center. He looked up at his two boys, wondering what he could do to make things right.

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Jim walked up a rocky path, anger boiling and sorrow flowing in his soul. He looked down, wondering how he could have missed it as a kid- his father always being tired, never spending too much time with him… all because he was too busy spending time with someone else. He recalled the night his parents had a fight, and his mother bring up another woman and his father bring up having to take care of someone else. He didn't understand it until now… he only understood that his father was leaving and never coming back.

_A young 10-year-old Jim sat in his room, lying on his bed with his face buried in his pillow. He turned his head to the side to get a little air, his eyes coming across a picture of him and his dad sitting on the pier together, throwing pieces of food at a few pelirats who hung around the docks. Angrily, he grabbed the picture and threw it at the wall, the glass breaking though he didn't care. He never wanted to see his father's face ever again… especially if he wasn't coming back._

**All the times that I cried, keeping all the things I knew inside**

**Its hard, but harder to ignore it**

_A 13-year-old Jim is walking down the hallway of his school, looking at all the kids as they stare at him- namely the black eye he had gotten after a fight. They whispered as he passed by them, no doubt talking about the fight, but he ignored them… he was used to them talking about the messes he got himself into. A pair of students walked by and one of them stuck his foot out, tripping Jim and making him fall to the ground, and they laughed at him. He got up, wanting to punch their lights out, but saw a teacher watching and decided to hold back on the idea._

**If they were right, I'd agree, but it's them you know, not me**

**Now there's a way and I know I have to go away**

Jim stopped at the edge of the mountain, looking down and seeing his father coming towards it. He sneered and turned away, paying no attention to him.

**I know I have to go.**

**(Stay stay stay, why must you go and make this decision alone?)**

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Finn and Jim came to a crossroad where the paths met. Seeing a large stone sitting on a peak of the mountain-side, the two boys walked over and sat on different sides of it, not even looking at each other. Finn held his guitar, lightly strumming it, making it to where he could barely hear the notes so not to disturb the silence too much. Both of them let out a heavy sigh, just sitting there.

The small silence was disturbed by a *step* and a metallic *creak* as Silver walked up behind them, then leaned against the edge of the mountain, taking out the piece of wood he had earlier and continuing to widdle it. "Quite a tough situation, if ye t'ink about it," he said, addressing the two boys but making his tone sound as if he were talking to himself.

"You mean the fact that we're on the lam, or the sudden realization that the man we thought we knew actually had two families and hardly wanted anything to do with us?" Finn scoffed.

Silver was about to reply, but Jim beat him to it. "What do you mean 'us'?" he sneered, facing Finn. "He decided to take care of YOU, and YOU got to spend your entire life with HIM!" Finn faced him, a glare in his eyes.

Silver took a step towards them, but still couldn't get a word in. "Just because he decided to take care of me, doesn't mean I got to spend a lot of time with him! Do you have any idea what it feels like to be on the same ship as your father, but not getting to spend ANY time with him?"

"Doesn't sound any worse than being ABANDONED by him!"

"He only did that because _I_ needed him!"

"Oh, and I didn't? You know how many times I screwed-up because he wasn't around?"

"Well, that's your OWN fault, isn't it?"

Jim grabbed Finn by the shirt-collar. "You don't know what it's like to live without a father!"

Finn grabbed Jim by the shirt-collar. "Well, YOU don't know what it's like to live without a mother!"

"BOYS!" Silver shouted, stepping between the two teenagers and pulling them apart. "Cut it out! Yer actin' like a couple of three-year-olds!" The two boys glared at each other and turned away, though Silver kept his hands on their shoulders. "Now, you two listen, an' ye listen good. Yer father didn't have much o' a choice! 'Twas hard fer him tah have tah take care o' two families, even harder when he didn't get tah spend too much time wit' either of ya." he turned to Finn. "T'ink about how he felt when he realized dat one o' his boys needed someone tah take care o' him, while deh other had tah face deh world on his own." he turned to Jim. "T'ink about how scared he was, wonderin' what yer mother would've done if he brought home another mouth tah feed dat didn't belong tah her." He stood up straight, tugging their shoulders so both of them faced him. "Ya both can spend deh rest of yer days hatin' him, even arguing on who got deh better end o' deh deal… or ye can actually take a second look at each other's lives. Ye shouldn't mark him jus' yet, lads. Not 'til ye spent a day in his shoes."

With that, Silver turned around and walked back down the path he came, just in time to see Lee coming up. "Silver? Are they…?" Lee began to ask.

"Shh. We'll see." Silver held him back, and they leaned against a boulder, looking around the other side of it at Finn and Jim.

The two boys said nothing for a while, Finn even stopped strumming his guitar, as they both considered Silver's words. Jim was the first to break the silence. "So… how did you meet Silver?" he asked in a sigh.

Finn sighed. "It's not one of my favorite memories," he replied. "It was a cold day. My dad and I were sailing- like we had been doing for the past 6 years- and everything seemed normal. Suddenly, the wind began to pick up, our ship felt as if it were being blown off-course, debris and chunks of rocks were flying past us, and next thing I knew we were tying down our life-lines." he faced Jim. "It turns out the Star of Galais had decided to pull a Supernova on us."

Jim nodded. "I've been through one of those before, only it was the Star of Bermudez, and we ended up having to deal with a Black Hole next."

"Ugh. Not fun. What happened?"

Jim shrugged. "We made it out alive- duh- but we lost the first mate." his eyes saddened at the memory, but he shook his head. "I'll tell you more after you finish."

"Right. …Anyway, we did our best to keep from being bombarded by the mini-meteors the star spat at us, but it was no use. The helmsman got knocked out… our cannons lost power…" Finn looked down sadly. "Dad grabbed me and pulled me into a corner, practically shielding me from the oncoming doom. I heard a crash, the ship shook, and I blacked out… When I came to, half the ship was gone, and only Dad and I had survived. We were stuck out there, and with half the ship gone the oxygen level was starting to thin. Silver showed up in a longboat just then, just when we were about to breathe our last breath, and gave us a ride to port. Dad wanted to repay him… and apparently the ol' cyborg found a way for us to repay our debt to him- help him sail to another galaxy and out of this one's jurisdiction, to start a new life. We realized he was a pirate, but Dad didn't go back on his promise." he then looked at Jim. "I guess, deep down, he wanted to start a new life too."

Jim's gaze was on the ground, and he only nodded.

"We sailed for a while… and, I don't know, I guess a bond just formed between the three of us."

"Yeah. Silver must have that kind of effect on people."

On the other side of the boulder, Lee looked at Silver who shrugged modestly, and the man rolled his eyes.

"So… how do _you_ know him?" Finn asked.

Jim then told him the story about Treasure Planet- how Billy Bones gave him the map, how the pirates burned down the Inn, how he and Delbert met Amelia, how he met Silver but showed distrust for him… "But, the more time we spent together, the more I let my guard down. I didn't think it was possible, but the ol' cyborg had won my trust." he then told Finn about the Supernova and the black hole, how they lost Mr. Arrow, and how he lost his confidence again. "I thought I couldn't do anything right… then Silver came. He told me I had 'the makings of greatness in me', and that I could 'chart my own course' and 'lights would come off my sails'… he gave me the confidence I never thought I had."

Finn smiled. "He would always tell me things like that whenever I felt down. …He really knows how to increase someone's self-esteem."

"Yeah… Though, it didn't stay that way for too long." he then told Finn about the mutiny, and how he, Amelia, and Delbert crash-landed on Treasure Planet, met BEN, had to go back to the ship to retrieve the map, fight off Scroop, and come back to the planet, only to be forced to lead the way to the treasure by the pirates.

Finn's eyes widened. "Wow. …So, Treasure Planet was real?"

Jim nodded.

"Whoa… how much treasure WAS there?"

Jim smirked. "Enough to fill the core of a planet."

Finn's jaw dropped. "What happened next?"

Jim told him about Flint's trap, and how the planet was starting to erupt, and how he was about to make an escape in a boat full of treasure until Silver stepped on. "It was as if the mistrust between us had returned. Before either of us could make a move, a laser-beam hit the boat, sending us flying off and me over the edge. I was hanging on for my life, but the outcrop was sinking into the wall, and I had just a few short seconds left…"

Finn was on the edge of his seat now, eager to hear the rest.

"Then, Silver saved me. He had a choice between treasure or me… and he gave it up, just to save my life."

Finn grinned. "Which is a good thing too. After the stories I've heard, YOU were the one who saved everyone from the planet's destruction!"

Jim shrugged. "I wouldn't have if Silver hadn't saved me… He saved me in more ways than one. He saved me from death… and from myself." he looked at Finn. "I paid him back by letting him go."

"No doubt I would do the same. You guys have quite a past… and I can tell the bond is still strong."

"Yeah… I can't help it. During that voyage… he was like a father to me."

Lee looked at Silver in disbelief, and the cyborg only shrugged- serious, this time.

Finn nodded. "Speaking of fathers… are you going to give him another chance?" he asked.

Jim's smile faded, and he sighed. "I don't know… I-I still need to think about it." he replied.

"Yeah. Me too."

The two boys stood up and began walking down the other path. Silver looked at Lee, who looked at the ground and sadly began walking down the other path. "Leland-" Silver began.

But the man only raised his hand. "It's okay, Silver. I'll be fine." he said, not even facing the cyborg. "Lets just… get back to camp."

Silver sighed lightly, then followed him. "T'is isn't going as planned…" he said to himself.

He had to find another way to fix the gap between the father and his sons.

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A/N: MAN, longest chapter yet! Anyway, the song is called "The father son song" by Cat Stevens (Thank you Welsh Gem for the idea)

Please review.

…

…

…

…

_**NO FLAMES!**_

(please?)


	17. Chapter 16: Challenges

Sorry for the long wait, guys, but life tends to throw a few challenges at me that distracts me from my writing. HOWEVER, it hasn't stopped me from updating! …So, here you go.

Go on. Read.

Really, go ahead.

JUST READ! Lol jk… seriously, get reading, though.

**Reviewer Thanks-So-Muches**

**G.I.R's-Nobody-Xirg: **(love the name, btw) Your reviews really made me laugh, possibly as much as I made you laugh (theoretically speaking). Lee destroying Tides sounds quite inspiring ;) I'll have to also check out RockOnRose's "Worthless Nobody", it sounds interesting. And there's nothing wrong with being weird! …Actually, Morph changing into something random could really fit into this chapter :D I'm also glad I made your day, and hopefully I can do it again. Thanks for the reviews!

**LaylaBinx: **And I'm still loving your reviews. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

**Yuni30: ***slaps forehead* Confound it, I SHOULD'VE put that quote in! And yes, everyone has a job to do, and I'm glad that everyone seems in-character (I'm always watching for that). And I KNOW all my readers are thinking that! (possibly not with Silver's accent, but still) …And remind me to never enter a saloon with you 0_0 … lol jk!

**HG96: **I've never really heard the song, but the lyrics sure matched the plot. Please don't cry! (and I'm sorry you have to move :( quite a shame).

**Amalimrock: **I don't plan to stop just yet! :D

**Silverwolf407: **Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the emotion in the chapter- another thing I keep an eye on. Prepare to have me make your day again, for here's another chapter!

**Welsh Gem: **Thanks. After reading the lyrics, the chapter pretty much wrote itself, I must admit.

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Elsewhere in the galaxy, the ship _WD Magic _was sailing through the Etherium. At the helm stood a woman with white hair and bright-blue eyes, with very tanned skin, wearing a dark-blue uniform with white glitter on it, looking as if it blended in with the stars. Beside her was Amelia, who stoically looked out toward the outstretching galaxy before them.

"Status report, Miss Yensid." Amelia stated firmly.

"We should be approaching the fourth quadrant that'll take us to Zignus Cross, ma'am." The woman, Yensid, replied.

"…And yet not trace, I assume."

Yensid sighed. "Not yet, madam. …But, I do believe we're getting close. That bartender we questioned two days ago gave us enough information to locate the cyborg."

Amelia gripped the railing of the ship, glowering out at the stars. "Not enough, due to the fact that we're still _searching_."

"Just relax, Captain. If he's out there, we'll find him-"

"Relax?" Amelia turned sharply to Yensid. "We've been searching for almost a month, and haven't found a bloody trace of that bloody pirate!" she was an inch away from Yensid, her eyes furious even though her tone was calm… in a strict sort of way…

"Captain, dear… May I have a word with you?" Delbert stammered, rushing up and putting his hands on his wife's shoulders, keeping her from taking her impatience out on Yensid. He had never seen her like this before- except for the time she criticized his steering efforts back on Treasure Planet- so he was a bit nervous about what she would do next if she didn't calm down. He pulled her off to the side and began to whisper to her. "Amelia, listen. I know this search isn't going as rapid as you hoped it would, but that's no reason to get aggravated at the pace of our investigation!"

"I am NOT aggravated, Doctor!" Amelia snapped, but changed her tone to a whisper after noticing a few people staring at them after her outburst. "I'm just getting a tad disgruntled from the lack of effort from the crew of THIS vessel."

"They're trying their best, Amelia. And you should know from experience that it takes time to locate something that seems impossible to find." he walked toward the front of the ship, holding his hand outward behind him while he still faced his wife. "I mean, you can't just EXPECT the galaxy to spit results out at us!"

"Captain, up ahead!" Yensid gasped, pointing ahead.

Delbert looked over his shoulder, seeing a vessel that looked as if it had been ransacked. "Or… maybe it can." he blinked twice in surprise.

"Take us over, Miss Yensid." Amelia ordered. As their vessel got closer, her and Delbert's eyes widened in shock. "Bloody stars…"

"Oh… oh my!" Delbert gasped, adjusting his glasses to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. Unfortunately, they weren't. "This… this is the ship Jim was sent on!"

"Everyone, search this ship for any survivors!" Amelia ordered to the crew on deck, grabbing hold of some rope then swinging it over, lassoing the main mast of the other ship then swinging over, right above and past the rest of the crew, stunning them for a bit.

Delbert shook his head. "MUST she always escalate the dramatics?" he sighed.

The entire crew searched the damaged ship, finding a few beaten sailors who were covered in soot and smelling like smoke. Amelia burst into the captain's stateroom, where she happened to find yet another survivor. Wrapping one arm around her shoulders and using the other to support her waist, she carried Delila out and onto the deck, just in time for the canidid to come to, coughing out smoke.

"Are you alright, Miss?" Amelia asked her, while the rest of the crew continued the search. Delbert walked into the stateroom to pin-point the course Delila's ship had taken.

"My crew… planned mutiny…" Delila said in a raspy voice.

"Don't worry. They'll soon pay for their mistakes once we catch up to them-"

"…And Hawkins… he…" Delila coughed, having a hard time to finish her sentence.

Amelia's ears perked up in alarm. "Hawkins? What about him? Is he alright?"

During the discussion, Delbert happened to stumble upon a note on the floor, written in Jim's handwriting. He read it, adjusting his glasses once again to make sure he was reading it correctly, his eyes widening with every sentence.

"He's… a traitor…" Delila said, letting out a grunt and grabbing her ribs.

"E-Easy, now. …What do you mean he's a traitor?" Amelia questioned, folding her jacket into a cushion for Delila's head. "Surely you don't think Jim planned this, do you?"

"He's… with _him_…" Delila coughed again, passing out.

"Blast it! A right time to pass out…"

"Captain!" Yensid called, walking with several other crewmates as they dragged a few shackled sailors up on deck. "We found these men locked inside the brig."

Amelia turned to a soot-covered sailor who had regained consciousness. "Who are those men?"

The sailor looked at the men and glowered. "They're the ones who started the mutiny… (cough)" he replied.

Amelia turned to the mutineers, glowering at them. "Alright, what did you ludicrous barbarians do with Hawkins?" But none of them replied, looking startled for some reason. "C'mon, now, out with it!"

"I-It was the cyborg!" One mutineer, a green trout-like alien, replied first, his voice trembling. "He was on board the ship…"

Amelia stormed up and grabbed the mutineer by the shirt-collar, making him yelp. "What? What was he doing on this ship? Where did he go? Speak, man!"

"W-We don't know! He just came on board, forced us into the brig, a-and left!"

Amelia pushed him away, scowling. "Oh, for the love of- IS THERE ANYTHING HERE THAT CAN GIVE US A HINT OF WHERE THAT BLASTED CYBORG WENT?"

"A-Amelia!" Delbert called, his voice trembling as he ran down the stairs, holding the note he found up to his wife. "I think I found something…"

Amelia read the note, her eyes going from glowering to surprised. "Blast it…" she sighed, then threw the note to the ground and slammed her fist on the main mast. "Blast it, Hawkins!" she turned to the rest of the crew. "All of you, throw those dribbling galoots down in the brig, and take the survivors to the infirmary!" she marched toward her ship, giving a short glance at Yensid. "Continue our course, Miss Yensid, and don't let ANYTHING slip out of your sight!" she faced the rest of the crew. "That goes for all of you!" she stepped back onto their vessel, followed by Delbert. Making sure no one was watching, she sighed and let her shoulders sag.

"Amelia?" Delbert asked, putting a hand on his wife's shoulder.

Amelia just looked down at the floor, solemnly. "This voyage has given us a new challenge, Delbert… and this time I don't know how we should handle it."

Delbert let out a heavy sigh. "We must do what's right…" he cupped her face in his hand, turning her head so that their eyes met. "…For Jim's sake."

The crew gathered the survivors and mutineers, gathering some cargo that managed to survive as well, and hauled them onto the ship. The only thing they left behind was a small, crumpled note…

"_An important matter came up, giving me an offer I couldn't refuse. I have gone off to handle it, and hopefully find help. I'm sure you still have questions about me, but there's questions I need answered first. I'll be back, so don't bother searching for me- it's bad enough you're already searching for someone else, so I recommend you continue the voyage without me._

_Sincerely, Jim Hawkins._

_P.S. As for Silver …He's not what you think."_

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A few notebook papers with formulas written on them sat on the table…

*Thud!*

That is, until Derek ran and knocked the table over, making the pages scatter everywhere. "Derek!" BEN snapped, grabbing the pages and stacking them up. "Stop knocking things over- AUGH! Ashley, get away from that!" he ran over and grabbed Ashley before the blonde-haired felinid- who happened to be climbing up a bookcase- grabbed a small statue. He then set her back on the ground. "Geez, I know cats like to climb, but you shouldn't just- YIPES! Alice, put that down!"

Morph was having his own nervous breakdown, looking around the kitchen for Amy… "ACK!" … shrieking when he saw her climbing across a shelf and knocking down the china plates! Thinking quickly, he changed into a baseball mitt and began to catch the plates, catching them in a stacked order then setting them on the counter. He changed back to normal, panting in exhaustion. He looked back up at Amy…

Who was now making a lasso out of her shoe-strings and lassoing the ceiling lamp, preparing to swing down! "Wheeeeeeeee!" she squealed as she leaped.

"AUGH!" Morph quickly changed into a fishing net, flying beneath Amy.

*Snap!*

The shoe-string didn't hold and Amy found herself falling toward the floor… luckily being caught by Morph, who set her on the ground and began to chatter angrily at her-

*Slam!*

Until Derek snuck up and trapped him under a cooking pot. "Hey! Lemme out!" the protoplasm yelled, banging around inside the pot. The two Doppler children only laughed at this… until the pan began to rise, and a short- yet menacing- figure with blue fur, big black eyes, large ears, four arms, and feathers sticking out its back popped out and snarled at them.

"Eeek!" The two Doppler kids shrieked, fleeing from the creature.

Morph- staying in his current shape- chased after the children, following them into the living room…

Where BEN was jumping up-and-down, trying to reach Alice, who somehow ended up on the chandelier. "GET DOWN HERE, YOU NAUGHTY KITTEN- WAUGH!" BEN shouted at her, then fell back when the black-haired felinid jumped onto his face! "Help! I'm blind!"

Ashley rolled a ball behind the robot. Alice jumped off and landed on the couch, and she and her sister chuckled as the robot stepped onto the ball and tried to balance on it, rolling around the room… right toward Morph!

"Morph, look oooOUT!"

"Augh!"

*CRASH!*

All the Doppler children laughed as the robot crashed into the protoplasm, both of them landing in a pile of books, and BEN got his head stuck in a vase while Morph was splattered on a globe, covering the entire continent of Antarctica in pink. BEN pulled the vase off his head, giving the children a hurt look. "Why?" he began to sob. "Why do you guys have to be so mean? All we're trying to do is take good care of you while your parents are away, and make sure you all feel cozy, safe… and loved. IS THAT SO WRONG?" he then fled the room, bawling.

Morph turned into a little rain-cloud, unleashing a storm of raindrop-tears as he flew away. "So wrong?" he repeated before he disappeared.

The four Doppler children looked at each other. Even though they were infants, they were smart enough to realize the consequences of their games, realizing they weren't as fun as they thought they were, anymore.

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BEN sat in the guest room later that evening, still heart-broken, with Morph floating beside him and turning into a tissue. "Thanks, Morph," BEN said, taking the 'tissue' and blowing his nose on it.

"Yech!" Morph sputtered, shaking off the oily-snot the robot blew on him.

*Knock knock knock*

"I wonder who that is?" BEN asked as he and Morph walked over the door…

Opening it to find the four Doppler children, standing before them and giving them remorseful expressions.

BEN rubbed his temples. "Oh… what is it now, guys? Do you have more toys to beat me up with? Are there any other rooms you want to destroy? …Did you finally manage to set something on fire?"

Derek held up a small, folded piece of paper up to the robot, which had the word, "Sorry" written on the front of it.

"What's this?" BEN opened the card, seeing that the children had drawn a crayon-picture of him, Morph, and the four of them standing under a rainbow. He looked at them, seeing that they were giving him wide-eyed, puppy-dog (and kitty-cat) apologetic looks. "Aw… Apology accepted, you guys!"

"Apology accepted!" Morph repeated, licking each of the Doppler children's faces as BEN pulled them into a hug.

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A/N: What? You didn't think I'd skip out on a tender-moment in a TP fic, did you? (if you did, prepare to be even more disappointed since there's more to come!) Also, I snuck in a couple Disney-cameos. See if you can spot 'em! ;D …Also, if you have any suggestions on how I could re-write Jim's letter so it sounded less cheesy, don't hesitate to send 'em!

Please review. No flames are necessary… seriously.


	18. Chapter 17: A Messy Situation

I decided to take a small break for the holidays, but I'm back now! Btw, Merry-late Christmas!

Also, the cameo's in the last chapter included:

_WD Magic- _Walt Disney Magic

_Yensid- _'Disney' spelled backwards… and, according to many of you, the name of the sorcerer in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (the old movie with Mickey Mouse)

And finally, Morph's little disguise: Stitch!

**Reviewer Thanks**

**LaylaBinx: **Yeah, I couldn't help but throw in a cute moment. ^-^

**G.I.R's-Nobody-Xirg: **Correctamundo! And, yeah, the Doppler Kids are smarter than my nieces (only 'cuz I made 'em that way, lol jk) And I thought of the same exact quote when I wrote in the dialogue! As for the "TP: Gone Wild"… meh, I'll think about it (the title kind of scares me).

**Silverwolf407: **Yes, kids can be a handful… let alone be so darn CUTE! Lol, glad I made your day again… sorry that I caused you to do a happy-dance and weird-out your friend (At least I didn't cause you to do the dance-of-shock XD).

**EH6: **Thank you. I think I caused everyone to pop a lung at the mishap BEN and Morph went through. We'll see how Amelia will handle the situation, but for now, you might want to ask yourself this: what will she do when she finally encounters Silver? *insert dramatic music here*

**Amalimrock: **You are correct! (though, I didn't really include a Gantu cameo). And I caught that TP quote! And thank you for how I could edit Jim's letter.

**Welsh Gem: **Don't we all? And we will get a glance at Sarah right after this!

**HG96: **lol well that's ANOTHER vote for Lee to kill Tides XD And you can expect more sweetness from the TP characters! (this works on 2 levels) Even though I'll miss your reviews, I shall still take value in them. Hope you enjoy your new home, and I wish you luck!

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Silver took first watch that night, knowing well that Jim, Finn, and Lee needed more rest than he did- especially after the experience they just encountered. He looked at the threesome as they slept- Finn was hugging his guitar-case, Lee was lying against his duffel bag with his triangular hat pulled over his eyes, Jim was lying a couple feet from the fire and shaking- and the old cyborg unleashed a heavy sigh, feeling sympathy towards them. He grabbed the blanket Jim was using and pulled it up to his chin to keep the teenager warmer and ceasing his shivering, then walked over to Finn and carefully slid his guitar-case out from under him, then folded his jacket and placed it under the teen's head to keep him more comfortable.

He didn't suspect Lee to be watching him, peeking out from under his hat. He recalled Jim mentioning how Silver shaped him into a responsible young man and became a role-model for him when he needed on. He looked over at Finn, knowing that during every trip the lad seemed to have built a strong bond with the cyborg, and that neither of them abandoned each other after encountering a bounty-hunter. Lee had spent so many years trying to take care of his own problems that he didn't pay attention to his sons' problems, unless they were in mortal danger… and he left one, thinking that he could do well on his own, only to realize how wrong he was. If it weren't for Silver, neither of his boys would know what a father actually was.

He sighed softly, then grabbed his duffel bag. As soon as Silver covered his eyes with his hat, he started sneaking past him, keeping quiet. "A bit late fer ya tah be takin' a stroll, don't ya t'ink?" The cyborg asked him as he passed by, without even looking at him.

Lee froze, then looked at Silver, amazed that he still sensed him… of course, it could have also been his cyborg parts. "Wow. You're good." Lee said anyway, facing him.

Silver sighed and tipped his hat up, giving Lee a solemn look, his cyborg eye orange. "Where do ye plan on goin', Leland?" Lee sighed and looked away, and Silver cocked his head to the side, giving him a sly look. "Ye wouldn't be planning on leavin' us behind, would ya? I don't t'ink yer boys would like dat…"

Lee sneered. "They wouldn't care anyway, Silver."

Silver then stood up. "What're ya talkin' about? Of COURSE they woul-"

"Don't you get it, you rustic old fool?" Lee's voice was tense now, his eyes turning into a fiery glare. "I can't handle being a father!"

"Listen, Lee, ye aren't-"

"No, YOU listen, Silver! I spent half my years trying to take care of my only two sons, and was always forced to choose which one to be with! Do you realize how many of their birthdays I missed because I had to choose which one to go to?"

"Lee-"

By this time, Jim had drifted out of sleep, groggily listening to the voices he heard.

"Face it, Silver. I messed up with my boys… And now, they don't need me anymore." He began walking away. "Take Jim home, and take care of Finn… you know how to handle them."

Silver's cyborg eye was red now, and he glared at Lee with a hateful passion. "Ya know, Lee, when I first met Jim, I could tell how hard he took yer abandonment. Your boys needed you back then, and they STILL need you now! How do ye t'ink he'll feel when he finds out his own father left him AND his long-lost brother?"

"What does it matter? He hates me. You heard how he told Finn about me."

Jim was wide awake now, listening in on every word. His back was to them, so neither of them could see the angered, hurt expression on his face.

"He'll hate ya even more if ya walk out on him again!"

Lee glared and shook his head, turning his back to Silver. "You don't understand, Silver. I made a mistake between my boys… and I don't plan on doing that again." he began to walk off again.

"Bigger than the one you're making now?" A new voice said, and they turned to see Jim sitting up and glaring at Lee.

"Jimbo! How long have ye been up?" Silver asked him.

"Long enough to hear everything."

Lee sighed. "Jim, listen. I don't want to leave you again, but I have to-" he began to explain.

"Have to what?" Jim's voice was cold now. "Do I have ANOTHER brother you have to go and take care of? …Or did you decide you don't want to deal with another son, and want to abandon BOTH of us?"

"What's going on?" Finn yawned, waking up. "What's with all the yelling?"

Jim sneered at Lee, but addressed Finn. "Ask the man you thought was your father…"

Finn arched an eyebrow and turned to Lee. "Dad? What's he talking about?"

Lee looked at Jim, Finn, then Silver- Jim scowling at him, Finn giving him a questionable look, and Silver eyeing him, all of them waiting for his next move. "Finn… I'm going to-" he began, but froze, his eyes wide. "Run."

"Run? At this hour?"

"I think he means 'run away', like he did to me." Jim sneered.

Silver, however, read Lee's expression and slowly began to turn around. "No… I mean run as in RUN!" Lee shouted, then turned and ran off.

"Look out!" Silver bellowed, ducking behind a rock as a laser-blast hit the spot where he just stood.

Finn yelped as he and Jim dove behind an adjacent rock, staring up and watching another longboat fly down toward them, manned by a group of people with blue skin, red hair, and somewhat hansom faces. They all looked alike, only they all had different haircuts, eye colors, and wore different clothes. "THERE HE IS!" One of them- who had stuck-up hair and green eyes- shouted as he and a couple others dove out and ran toward Silver.

"Blast it! How many bounty-hunters do I have tah deal wit', this week?" Silver snarled, shifting his cyborg arm into a laser-pistol and shooting at the men after him.

Jim took out his laser-pistol, ready to fight, until a voice whispered at them: "Psst! Jim! Finn! Over here, quick!" He and Finn turned to see Lee, waiting by their longboat, hidden behind a large boulder. "Hurry, before they spot us!"

"C'mon," Finn said, tugging Jim's shirt.

"What about Silver?" Jim asked.

"He'll be fine. Lets move!" Lee responded, waving his arm and motioning Jim to hurry.

Jim sneered, holding up his laser pistol and getting ready to lunge at their attackers, seeing that more of them had leaped out of the boat as Silver shot two of them down. "Are you nuts? They'll kill you!" Finn hissed, grabbing Jim's arm before he could jump out.

Jim tugged his arm away and glared at his brother. "I'm NOT leaving Silver. …I was hoping you would understand that." he replied, then leaped over the rock and shot at the attackers, rolling behind the rock where Silver hid.

"Are ya daft, lad? Ye have tah get outta here!" Silver snapped at him, shooting at a blue alien with red, poofy hair and gray eyes.

"And take after my father and abandon someone I care about? I don't think so!" Jim shot at an alien with long braided hair, a red goatee, and brown eyes, grazing his shoulder.

"Oy, yer stubborn!" Silver then grinned and laid his organic hand on Jim's shoulder. "I sure missed ya, lad." A laser struck the top of the rock, nearly hitting them, and they ducked down. Silver then stood up, glaring at their attackers. "Ye want a piece o' t'is, ya laggards?" he switched his arm into a cannon and shot a blue alien with a red Mohawk and one with a mullet, making them cry out in alarm and dive out of the way.

One blue alien, however, managed to sneak around the shooting-range and get behind Silver and Jim. He had bulging muscles, short hair with a pony-tail, and ruby-red eyes, and held a large boulder in his hands, ready to bring it down on Silver's head…

*BAM!*

Before he could do so, however, Finn managed to sneak behind him and hit him upside the head with his guitar case, knocking him unconscious and causing him to hit the sand. Jim and Silver turned around, their eyes widening in awe. "What? Did you guys think I'd let you hog all the fun?" he scoffed, then leaned down and whispered to Jim. "Plus, I didn't want to abandon Silver, either."

Jim couldn't help but smile. His smile faded, however, when he looked over and saw that their longboat was missing, and looked upward, seeing the blue flames of its jets shrinking into the distance. He glowered and shook his head. "Figures." he muttered, then went back to shooting.

Several of the blue aliens ran back to their longboat, while others were struggling to run and failing due to their laser-burns. "Yeah, ya better run, ya yella-bellied cowards!" Silver shouted, keeping his cannon aimed at them. "Come back when ye get some REAL weapons!"

*POW!*

A laser-ball hit the sand, just a foot away from Silver, making him jump back, startled. "What deh devil…?" He, Jim, and Finn looked upward, seeing a ship hovering above them, with dark storm-clouds following it. But, it wasn't just any ship…

It was a _pirate _ship.

"Huh, boy…" Finn said, weakly.

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Before they knew it, they were swarmed by an entire crew, tackled, bound and gagged, and dragged onto their ship. The rest of the crew looked like the aliens that attacked them in the first place, only rather than just having red hair they also had green, black, purple, orange, and dark-blue hair, and most of them appeared to be female. One of them latched a device on Silver's arm, deactivating it and causing his left shoulder to sag due to its dead weight. They were lined up, guns aimed at their heads, chests, throats and stomachs if they so much as flinched.

The stateroom door swung open, and out stepped the ship's captain, wearing a long maroon suit-jacket, burgundy thigh-high boots, a black-leather choker with a red ruby in the middle of it with diamonds circling around the rest of it, and a black triangular hat with multiple-colored crystals embedded in the trim and a long, scarlet feather sticking out of it.

Also, the captain was a woman, who looked like the blue-alien members of her crew- blue skin, bright red hair, and she had green eyes. "Well, well, so we finally meet, Monsieur Silver." She said with a French accent.

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Sarah was walking to the Doppler household to check on BEN and Morph, when suddenly her mobile holo-phone buzzed. "Hello?" she asked as she answered it, seeing an image of one of her patrons- an afghan-hound canidid- staring frantically at her.

"Mrs. Hawkins, you must come here, quick!" the patron cried, frantically. "Something's wrong with the pipes!"

"What's the problem?"

"Well, I turned on the pipes to take a hot-shower, and sludge oozed out of the shower-cap!"

"Sludge?" her phone buzzed again. "H-Hold on, Rita! I'll call you right back," she pushed a button, seeing that her other caller was a pig-hybrid and another one of her patrons. "Mrs. Duble! What's the matter?"

"Mrs. Hawkins, I just woke up to find spignats crawling around in my sheets!" the patron shrieked. "I demand that you do something about it, right away!"

"I-I will, Mrs. Duble… how did they get in your sheets?"

"How should I know? YOU own the Inn!"

"Well, I- hold on," her phone vibrated again- and it turned out to be another patron, a stork-hybrid with hornbill glasses. "Yes, Gerald?"

"(ahem) Mrs. Hawkins, I hate to alarm you, but I have a problem I must go over with you…" the patron said.

"(sigh) What is it NOW?"

"Well, I hate to alarm you, but… The pipes in all the bathroom sinks are starting to leak out of the bottom and are soaking the floor, lizardian-rats are starting to appear in the kitchen, hallways, and bedrooms, the power has gone out and our spare flashlights are missing, the railing to the stairway collapsed- and, I hear Mrs. Zoronsky screaming about some sludge oozing into her bathtub- the holographic blinds are starting to malfunction and keep switching to different scenes, some spignats were found in my bed sheets- oh, dear, I think one of those lizardian-rats just ran off with a loaf of bread- and every time someone flushes a toilet, the water shoots back out! …along with some extra, _unsanitary_, items…"

"I-I'll be there right away!" Sarah hung up her phone and ran back to the Inn, deciding to check on BEN's progress later.

When she arrived, she was horrified. As if hearing the problems weren't bad enough, the outcome of them was enough to make her heart stop beating for nearly ten seconds: water was flooding down the stairs, patrons were screaming and swiping signats off their clothes, lizardian-rats were scurrying all around, and a piece of the ceiling fell.

"What… what on Montressor HAPPENED?"

Gerald ran toward her, shaking a lizardian-rat off his long-legs. "I was certain you could do a better job running an Inn, Mrs. Hawkins." he said.

"I-I don't understand… Everything was fine before I left!"

"Yes, well, I assume you'd better start checking things twice in the future…" The storkid wiped a drop of sludge off his beak. "And when you call another handyman, might I recommend one that actually gets the job done?"

"I just can't believe all this… wait," Sarah gave the patron a suspicious look. "What do you MEAN 'another' handyman?"

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Outside the Inn, a man in a blue suit that had a 'Handyman' label on the back of it walked along, his cap pulled over his eyes. He then climbed into his carriage that was parked down the road and loaded his tool-box into it, then took his hat off and fixed his black hair. He leaned back in his seat and looked in the back of the carriage at a couple cages and jars full of atrocious little vermin.

"Don't worry, guys. I'll make sure you get a turn next week… IF Sarah can keep her Inn open, that long." Tides chuckled.

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A/N: …I have a feeling many of you are overly-suspense'd, and now have an outrageous urge to kill Tides.

…

Well, review, please! (no flames though… they might end up in the Benbow).


	19. Chapter 18: Felinid VS Canidid

The plot keeps pounding in my head, so OF COURSE I can't resist writing up a new chapter!

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Silverwolf407: **You're not the only one! I'm glad you like Finn and Jim, and that you believe I keep Silver in-character, and we'll see if Lee ends up with his sons or not ;) And Finn and Jim singing! XD (say, that's not a bad idea). …Though, I think the characters are a tad annoyed about the cuddling. Lol, jk!

**EH6: **As I just told Silverwolf407, you're not the only one. And Lee felt he failed as a father and decided to leave… OR DID HE? Lol

**Welsh Gem: **Man, EVERYONE wants to kill Tides! (which means I succeeded in making a perfect villain! Yippee!) And you are correct- they're the EXACT SAME WOMAN! (and thank you for spotting the sudden eye-color change. I fixed that)

**Yuni30: **O.O …Sheesh, I knew everyone would want to kill Tides, but your statement takes the cake! (you wouldn't mind slipping into this little straight-jacket, would you? *holds up straight-jacket*) …And, yes, they ARE surprised to be captured by pirates- who have certain plans for a certain cyborg…

**G.I.R's-Nobody-Xirg: **Yes, my cleverness tends to kick in like that. …Although, I don't think it would allow me to have Tides be eaten by deranged seals (because I have different plans for him! *evil laugh*)

**Amalimrock: **Thank you... and it was his RIGHT arm? 0_o Wonder how I could've missed that.

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Jim, Finn and Silver were thrown down into the brig, as the pirate-captain approached them. "Well, gentlemen, I hope you find your new quarters to your liking for ze next 24 hours," she said in a kind tone, which turned dark. "Because that's how long you'll have left to live."

"What're ye planning tah do tah us, Scarlet?" Silver demanded, gripping his cell's bars with his organic hand.

"That's CAPTAIN Scarlet to you, cyborg!" She then grinned maliciously. "I've heard there was a bounty for your capture. 3,000 pounds… 5,000 if we bring you in, dead."

"I swear, if you lay a finger on him-" Jim started to snap, clinging onto his bars, but a blue-skinned alien with purple stuck-up hair punched his face, making him fall back.

The captain, Scarlet, approached Jim and Finn's cells. "Hmm, you two don't look like you're worth much… Assistance in piracy doesn't really have much of a cost, except being sentenced to ze gallows." she then held up his guitar-case, which she managed to confiscate. "But THIS, however, may be worth a few gold coins."

Finn's eyes widened in horror. "No… No! Give it back!" He shouted as he reached through the bars, trying to grab back his guitar, but Scarlet only held it back, chuckling at him. "Give it back, or I'll-"

"You'll what? Shout threats at me, that you won't fulfill?" She chuckled in amusement. "How deviant." She then turned to the purple-haired alien. "Kumo, keep guard. I do not want our little money-makers escaping," She then walked toward the stairs.

Jim sat up, his nose bleeding from when their guard hit him. "You won't get away with this!" he shouted. "My search-team is looking for me now, so you can bet they've contacted the authorities!" It was a lie, since he didn't know if his search-team even knew if he were alive and vice-versa, but he knew he had to say something to give Scarlet something to worry about, other than their escaping. "Once the cops see MY face, they'll KNOW you're up to something." …That much was true, he believed.

But Scarlet only laughed again. "Don't be ridiculous, little boy. You'll be dead before we even reach the nearest prison!" she then glanced at Silver, her evil grin widening. "I wonder what your 'fans' will think when they read the next headline: 'Famed Cabin-Boy Brutally Murdered by his Old Rival.'"

"They'll never believe you!" Finn shouted, trying to hold back tears. "Silver may have caused trouble in the past, but he'd never kill anyone! …Hold them hostage, yes, maybe even torture 'em, but he'd never commit murder!"

"You think anyone would believe that? He's a pirate. Pirates are known to murder. I should know- I am one." With that and a smug grin, Scarlet turned to leave, but paused and looked over her shoulder at Jim. "And, about your little search-team, I wouldn't get your hopes up- I happened to have a few friends on that ship."

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Amelia went down to the brig to question the mutineers for more information. "Alright, you rapscallions! I want to know EVERY SINGLE DETAIL about what happened on 'your' ship!" she shouted, and grabbed a nearby prisoner by the shirt-collar, pulling his face against the bars. "And don't try to hide anything from me, or I'll make sure you villains are hung higher than a Kalaspian Kite!"

"O-Okay, number one: We were just trying to cause a distraction and capture Delila! And two: We're not the villains!" The prisoner Amelia grabbed- a rat-hybrid with a pony-tail- snapped.

"What?"

"What are you, daft?" Another prisoner- a multi-eyed female alien- scoffed with a British accent. "We're _in-no-cent_!"

"Let us spell put it in layman terms: You've got the wrong guys!" Another prisoner, a tiger-like felinid, snapped. "We're not the bad guys- the ones you 'saved' are!"

Amelia released her hold of the prisoner. "Oh, blast…" she gasped and turned to run for the stairs-

-but was blocked by Delila and a couple other 'rescued' sailors. "Hello, 'Captain'," Delila said, grinning.

Amelia took out her sword quickly, but Delila was just as fast, and they began their duel. The so-called 'prisoners' jeered as they fought. Amelia leaped backwards onto a barrel, but quickly leaped off when Delila kicked it out from under her, leaping onto a crate. Amelia backed away and ran towards a mast, with Delila in pursuit, and the felinid leaned against the mast as Delila lunged, diving and rolling at the last minute and causing the canidid's sword to jam into the wooden pole, getting stuck.

"You're… quite… the fighter!" Delila grunted as she pried her sword loose, then ran at Amelia.

"Likewise," Amelia responded, and raised her sword to block Delila's as they continued their fight. Amelia began to advance, forcing Delila to back up near some barrels of gunpowder. "Give up, now, you traitorous hound. You won't win this fight!"

Delila only smirked. "Not very fair to fight someone who can't see," she then grabbed a handful of gunpowder and threw it into Amelia's eyes.

The felinid captain cried in pain as the black powder stung her eyes. Delila took this opportunity to kick her in the stomach, making her stumble and slam into the mast, dropping her sword. The canidid captain retrieved her weapon as she sheathed her own sword, then grabbed Amelia by her hair and forced her to stand up, holding her own sword at her neck (oh the irony!).

"Now, be a good little kitty… and stay in the brig!" she threw her into a cell, locking it tight. "I need to assist the rest of my crew as we use your ship to meet with a comrade of ours," she then turned, walking back up to the deck with her two other shipmates.

…not noticing a familiar astronomer hiding below the stairs. "Oh, my goodness…" Delbert gasped. He then quickly ran to Amelia's cell. "Amelia? Amelia! Are you alright? Speak to me!"

Amelia groaned and sat up, looking at her husband. "Doctor?" she whispered. "Are you there?"

Delbert reached into the cell and held her hand. "I'm right here,"

"Good…" Amelia then gripped him by the shirt-collar. "Go below deck to the engine room, and find a way to prevent that wretched mutt from taking this ship anywhere!"

"A-Alright, dear, alright! But what about you?"

Amelia reached into her hair and pulled out a bobby-pin. "I'll handle myself… now go!" Delbert quickly got up and ran to the stairs, while Amelia began to pick her cell's lock.

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"Ah, what a beautiful day!" BEN exclaimed as he pushed the Doppler Children in a four-seated stroller down the sidewalk.

"Beautiful!" The 'stroller' agreed, giving off the hint that it was clearly Morph, and the children giggled in delight.

"I don't see why we didn't think of this idea before! Taking the kids to visit Sarah- I'm sure she'll want some company after business has been running slow…" he leaned over and patted Ashley on the head. "And what better company than a quad of cute little cuddle-muffins like these!"

"Tides?" Morph suddenly said, inquisitively.

"Ah, well, I'm sure she likes Tides dropping by, but I still think she-"

"No, Tides! Over there!" Morph shifted his form a bit so that a hand stuck out the side of the stroller, pointing at Tides who was dressed as a handy-man and talking on the phone.

"Huh! I wander what he's doing in town… and dressed like a repair-man!" BEN started walking over. "Must be a part-time job, or something. C'mon, lets go say 'hello'."

"…Yeah, everything is going just as planned." Tides was saying into the phone, his back to BEN, Morph, and the kids. BEN opened his mouth to say hello, but paused at Tide's next statement. "Soon, Sarah's Inn will be ours. I'll just sneak over when she leaves next and smuggle in a few toad-beetles, mess with a few appliances in the kitchen, and before you know it she'll wish she never had the place re-built! That's when I talk her into selling me the property, and soon WE'LL have the most popular Inn on Montressor!"

_Oh, no… I've got to tell Sarah! _BEN thought as he slowly began to back away.

"Ah… ah… AH…" Amy began to sneeze, until Morph covered her nose.

"Whew." Morph sighed in relief… until he felt a tickle in his nose too. "WAHTCHOOO!"

Tides turned around, spotting BEN. "You! …You didn't HEAR my conversation just now, DID you?" he questioned.

"Conversation? What conversation?" BEN asked, acting innocent. "I'm just, uh, walking the kids… Bye now!" he tried to run, but Tides grabbed the stroller.

"Not so fast-"

"Yah!" Alice yelled, throwing her rattle and hitting Tides in the face.

"Ow!" Tides covered his eye as it throbbed with pain.

"Run, Morph, run!" BEN cried out, as he pushed the 'stroller' as fast as it would go. Tides whipped around and grabbed him by the shoulder, clutching his throat next, while Morph continued to roll down the street with the kids. "Gack! Hey, loosen your grip, Tides! Just because I don't have lungs doesn't mean I can't-" he tightened his grip. "Erk! …Breathe…"

"Now, I'm gonna take you to a friend of mine, and we'll see if we can erase your memory…"

*Bonk!*

Tides saw stars and fell backwards on the pavement. BEN looked over and saw the Doppler children standing on each others shoulders, holding a frying-pan which changed back into Morph. BEN let out a sigh of relief and picked up the kids. "Whoever said having kids was a hassle never had to watch you guys!" he said, then they ran down the sidewalk towards the Benbow. "Lets go!"

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A/N: Review?

NO FLAMEY!


	20. Chapter 19: Cleverness Pays Off

**Happy New Year! Here's a new chapter to start it off!**

**Reviewer Thanks**

**LaylaBinx: **Thank you! And don't worry, a lot of us have been having problems with the internet.

**Amalimrock: **Lol… yes. And I think you should worry more about Finn that his guitar, ha ha. And NO ONE did! I just love to give you all a good shock ^-^

**StormBringer128: **They're about one… which makes it funnier, lol. Delbert would have been offended, but since Delila is evil and Amelia wasn't talking about him (plus the fact that they're different breeds), I don't think he was TOO offended. …Maybe.

**Yuni30: **We all do! And they WILL have to think of a plan… *looks at Silver* Especially SOMEONE (gets glare from Silver) …Er, never mind. We'll see who comes up with a plan.

**Welsh Gem: **Hey, the other kids helped too! (lol jk) And everyone may escape… though, I can't really promise if Delbert goes mad (then he'd need a rabies shot, rofl!) And we all thought she was a goodie… until I added that twist! Mwuahahahaha!

**EH6: ***blushes* Oh, please. I just write. ^-^ Perhaps your hopes will come true… depending on how the situation goes. And I just love how I caught you by surprise with the part about Delila!

**Silverwolf407:** I couldn't help but chuckle when I read your review, lol. A thousand thank-yous for your comments as well. …And, I'll agree- when the character is cute, cuddling is just too hard to resist! :D …Prepare to flip, for I have an idea for the end ;)

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Leland Hawkins was never the kind of man to look back during a tough situation. When he and his crew had to abandon ship when the jets' capacity was dying out and the ship started to fall into the depths of space, he didn't turn around; When he walked away from a bar fight when his ship was docked on Kinapis, he didn't even look over his shoulder; And when he had to leave a crew member behind…

Or a wife…

Or a son…

He never looked back.

Ever.

He stared out at the vast numbers of stars as he soared the longboat across the galaxy, trying hard not to think about his situation and stick to his plan: get to the next galaxy, settle down, and start over. That was the plan he came up with ever since his last ship got caught in a supernova-

No. It was Finn's plan. HE wanted to settle down, but his old man wanted to continue sailing.

He wished he hadn't thought of Finn, because all of a sudden he started thinking about Jim, how he had abandoned him years ago… and ended up abandoning them again. He pulled something out of his pocket- a circular locket his own father passed down to him before he died. Opening it, he couldn't help but frown sadly as the holographic images of Jim and Finn, at younger ages, flashed before his eyes. Suddenly, the images began to flicker due to age, and Leland watched befuddled as the images began to run together. He pushed a button on the side that paused the images…

And the image he paused on was an image of Finn and Jim at age seven- Finn was playing a small guitar while Jim was reading. The two images were spliced together in a way that made it look like the two boys were actually spending time together, and coincidentally looking at each other and smiling… something many brothers did when- or 'if' in this case- they were together as kids.

Leland stared at the image, tears forming in his eyes, but quickly shook his head and shut the locket. "What am I thinking? It would never have happened, and won't ever will." he snapped to himself, letting out a sigh. "They never deserved to have a father like me. They're better off without me…" he rested his face in his hands. "I'm no father… It's hopeless."

"If you keep believing that, then you'll never figure out a solution." A feminine voice said in front of him just then.

Leland slowly lifted his face from his hands, squinting when he saw a bright light and shielded his eyes, seeing a shadowed figure hovering before him. When his eyes adjusted to the bright light, they widened in surprise at what he saw before him: a woman with long black hair, green eyes, fair skin, wearing a dark-blue blouse with a long brown skirt, a white light glowing around her.

"Hello, dearest." Her voice was smooth and warming.

"S-Susana!" Leland gasped. "B-But… I thought… how…?"

Susana chuckled, sitting in the longboat across from him. "Calm down, Lee. I can't understand a word you're saying!"

"I thought you were dead!"

"I am, darling. I'm just here with you in spirit." She leaned close, giving him a sly look. "I couldn't help but notice that you left our son on his own,"

Lee shook his head. "I tried to get him to escape with me, but he didn't want to-"

"I don't mean that. I was referring to the fact that you tried to abandon him… AND his brother."

His eyes widened. "You… you know about Jim?"

"You find out a lot of things after you pass away. Now, tell me, Lee… WHY did you abandon your sons?" her voice was cold now, and she gave Lee a harsh glare.

"I… I don't know."

"'I don't know' is NOT an answer. What was going through your mind when you tried to leave? Are you sick of looking out for Finn? Did you just not want to be with Jim? Or has your heart just hardened?"

"I'm just not cut out to be a father, alright?" he shouted in response, taking Susana by surprise. He then calmed down, letting out a remorseful sigh. "It's just that… because of the mistake I made in the past, I ended up leaving one of my son's behind to take care of the other, and I couldn't bring one with me because I was afraid of the dilemma I would have to face. And even though I was around to take care of Finn, I wasn't really much of a role model for him- I never noticed any of his problems, or gave him much praise for his successes. Meanwhile, Jim had no role-model whatsoever, and God knows what kind of trouble he got in." he sighed and looked over the side of the boat, down at the stars below him. "After we met Silver, Finn started spending more time with him and learning things that I never really taught him… and now it turns out Silver managed to help out Jim as well. It's almost like HE should have been their father instead of me. …They don't need me."

Susana shook her head. "You've got it wrong, Lee. Silver's a pirate- not many pirates stick around to be with their kids… especially when they end up in the gallows."

"Not Silver. He cares about Jim and Finn more than all the treasure in the universe. …He even gave up Flint's trove to save Jim."

"Ah, but that's only because Jim happened to set a mark on the pirate- they grew close on that voyage, closer than they wished to be. Silver may have been a role-model for Jim and changed his life, but in return Jim happened to change something of Silver as well: his heart." she reached over and held Lee's hand, her touch warm. "And if he hadn't done that, Silver never would have rescued you or Finn… especially since Finn reminded him of Jim."

Lee arched an eyebrow. "And what does that have to do with me going back?"

Susana giggled. "I never said you should go back- that's a decision you need to make. Your boys DO need you, Leland, no matter how many mistakes you've made in the past. You can't change the past, but you can learn from your mistakes…" Light shined upon her and she began to fade.

Lee quickly reached out to her. "Wait… don't go!"

"That sounds familiar, doesn't it? Do not worry, Lee. I may go, but I won't ever leave you…" she caressed his face and gave him a kiss on his forehead. "You have a choice now, Lee… choose carefully." Lee closed his eyes, letting a couple tears fall, and when he opened them…

She was gone.

He sighed and looked down sadly. He then looked out at the stars ahead of him, furrowing his brows, and grabbed the levers of his longboat, shifting gears and blasting off at an incredible speed.

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On the ship, SSS Bloodstone, all was quiet, the only sounds coming from the chatter of the crew and the ship's jets. The brig was the most quiet, as the guard sat on the barrel, leaning against the wall as he played solitaire on a crate, while the prisoners in the cell sat in the corners of their prison in sorrow.

Jim looked down sadly at the ground. In the cell to his right, Silver was trying to pry the deactivation-gizmo off his arm, only to end up getting shocked. "Blast it!" he snapped quietly, shaking his organic hand to get rid of the pain. In the cell to Jim's left, Finn had his knees pulled up to his chest, his face buried in them as his shoulders shook.

Looking at his two friends, the former cabin-boy scowled, thinking about their situation and how neither of them had a plan. He stood up and grabbed hold of the bars in front of him, letting out an angry grunt as he kicked them. "This is hopeless!" he shouted, alarming Silver.

"Hey, pipe down in there!" the guard shouted.

Jim began to pace, his thoughts clouded with anger and despair. "Don't worry, Jim. We'll get outta here-" Silver tried to assure.

"Don't you get it, Silver? We've lost!" Jim snapped, glaring at the cyborg. He then slumped down to the ground, shaking his head. "When I first heard I was hired to join a voyage, I thought that I could actually make something of myself again… then it turns out the trip involved hunting you down. I was hoping I could find a way to help you escape… but apparently that idea turned out to be a failure, and now we're all going to die." he hung his head low. "It's hopeless…"

Silver frowned, then reached through the bars of his cell and put a hand on Jim's shoulder. "Jim, remember what I told ye long ago? Ye have deh makin's of greatness in ya, an' need tah chart yer own course. Jus' 'cuz ye get caught in a few storms don't mean ye have tah tie up deh sails an' give up spacing."

"He's right," Finn muttered from his cell, and Jim turned and faced him, seeing tearstains on his face. "Normally I'm the one who gives up quick. I always go with the situation and try to improvise. YOU, Mr. 'I Discovered Flint's Trove And Escaped An Exploding Planet', managed to escape a life-or-death situation no matter what kind of threats you faced."

Jim sighed and shook his head. "I don't know how to get out of THIS situation, though," he said, walking to his cell door and looking out. He looked at the guard who continued to play solitaire, then at the keys that hung on the wall behind him… noticing that they were a triangular shape. He looked at the keyhole of his cell, noticing the slit. He then smirked. "…Up until now." he ran over to Finn. "Hey, do you still have your guitar-pick on you?"

Finn sighed, reaching into his pocket. "Yeah… the only piece of my guitar Scarlet DIDN'T take," he muttered. "Why?"

Jim smirked. "I have a plan." he grabbed the guitar pick. "Keep the guard distracted."

Finn nodded, then ran up to the front of his cell. "Hey, Guard-Dude, I have a question for you. Are you a powder-blue, or a baby-blue? I can't tell which is the feminine shade."

The guard growled and glared at him. "Why don't you pipe-down, before I make you black-and-blue?"

"Hey, hey, I was just asking… But, seriously, are you related to the tribe on Pandora? Because you don't have a tail…"

The guard clenched his fists and turned sharply to Finn, and Jim took this opportunity to use the guitar-pick to pick the lock (no pun intended). "I TOLD you to shut up!"

"C'mon, don't be like that, man. I'm only trying to have a conversation! What's the matter? Feeling… blue?"

The guard stood up and charged toward Finn's cell, grabbing the keys and opening the cell door, stepping in and grabbing Finn by the shirt-collar. "If you don't seal your lips THIS INSTANT, I'm gonna save Scarlet the trouble of killing you herself!" he pulled out a knife. "Got the message?"

"Uh, y-yes, I do! But I have one more question…"

*Bam!*

The guard saw stars, then fell to the ground after being hit with a barrel. Jim stood behind him, and he and his brother smirked, kneeling down and grabbing the keys off the guard. "How many stars do you see?"

Silver let out a laugh. "I tell ya, lads, ye never cease tah surprise me," he said as Jim unlocked his cage with the keys.

"Hey, Finn mostly did the work. I just picked the lock," Jim said modestly, then rubbed the back of his neck as he handed Finn's guitar pick back to him. "Thanks for letting me use it… though, I think you might need a new one."

Finn looked at his guitar-pick, which was now bent, dented, and crumpled. He held back a sob, giving Jim a weak smile. "No problem," he said, his voice a tad high-pitched.

Locking the guard in the cell, the trio ran to the stairs, Silver lagging behind a bit due to the weight of his inanimate cyborg arm. They neared the top of the stairs, peeking out around the deck. A couple sailors sat on crates near the starboard side, while three more walked along the upper deck, past the helmsman. Silver looked up at the crow's nest, using his cyborg eye (which thankfully was still functional) to zoom in, seeing that the lookout was keeping a sharp eye out. "Looks like we won't be getting off t'is ship so easily," he whispered to Jim as they walked back down the stairs.

Finn looked around, spotting a few paint-cans. "Or… maybe we will."

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A clam-headed alien and a short, orange, fuzzy alien walked down the corridor past the stairs, carrying their laser-rifles on their shoulders and keeping a lookout for anything suspicious. Of course, they failed to notice a certain canidid astronomer hiding under the steps, who snuck out and began walking down the corridor, looking over his shoulder to make sure they hadn't noticed him…

…bumping into a stack of crates, causing one of them to fall and crash on the ground…

…which the two guards obviously heard. "Hey!" the clam-headed alien snapped, turning and aiming his rifle at Delbert.

"Ack! Don't worry, gents, it's just me!" Delbert gasped, feigning innocence and pretending he didn't know that the two sailors before him were part of Delila's scheme.

"What are you doing down here?" The fuzzy alien demanded.

"Oh, uh, Captain Delila sent me down here to check the capacity on the thrusters."

The guards glared at him, but their expressions snapped into cheer. "Oh, well, that's good to hear." the clam-headed one said. "Carry on."

Delbert nodded and continued down the hall, waiting 'til the sailors had their backs turned then sprinted around the corner. "That was close. For a second there, I thought he was on to us," the fuzzy alien said.

"Yeah. And it's a good thing he's checking the capacity,"

The fuzzy alien began to slow down his pace. "Wait a minute… I thought we already HAD someone checking the capacity level."

The two guards froze, looking at each other in shock, then down the hall where Delbert left. "Oh, SHOOT!" both of them shouted, then bolted down the hallway.

Delbert rushed into the engine room, gasping and ducking behind the engine when he saw a squid-like alien sitting at the controls, keeping an eye on the capacity levels. Delbert took a deep breath, then drew his pistol, then jumped out in front of the squidid. "Don't move! Step away from the engine, and put your hands above your head!" he ordered, then studied the alien. "Er, all six of them!"

The squidid DID raise his arms… pulling out six laser-pistols as he did.

Delbert's own pistol turned to rubber, the barrel of it drooping as it the gun itself had fainted. He started backing away as the squidid came closer. "Er, well, um… violence never solved anything, anyway…"

*Bang!*

"Aaiie!"

The squidid fell onto the ground, and Delbert looked over, seeing Amelia standing in the corner, a smirk on her face. "I think I'd have to disagree with you on that note, Doctor," she said.

"Amelia! But, how did you get out so fast?" Delbert sputtered.

"Being married for over a year now, I would have figured you knew I'm quite skilled in escapes, dearest. I decided to check up on you, just in case you goofed up this situation."

Delbert sneered, then picked up two pistols the squidid had dropped. "Is that what you see me as? A goof-up?"

"Well, no offense, darling, but you're not the most coordinated when it comes to situations like these…" Amelia's eyes widened when Delbert raised the pistols at her. "Wait, Delbert, I didn't mean it like that! Put those down-"

*Bang! Bang!*

"Yeeow!"

Amelia looked over her shoulder, seeing a clam-headed alien and a fuzzy-alien, who- unknown to her- were sneaking up with their rifles. She turned back to Delbert, who gave her a smirk. "I think I'd have to disagree with you on that note, Amelia." he said, smugly.

Amelia grabbed a rifle off one of the sailors. "Boast about it later, Doctor. We've got a situation on our hands!" she sneered, running over and pulling down the switch and lowering the ship's capacity, then she and Delbert ran out.

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Two guards stood outside Scarlet's stateroom. One had green stuck-up hair and was male and the other had yellow poofy hair and was female. They straightened their stances when two more 'crewmembers' approached with Silver, holding his arms behind his back, and they both had blue hair. "We need to have a word with Captain Scarlet," the first blue-haired one asked.

"For what reason?" the yellow-haired alien demanded, and scowled at Silver. "I hope it includes a good reason for dragging THIS worthless piece of gronkarl out of his cell."

"The cyborg tried to use his deactivated arm to pick the cell's lock." the second blue-haired one explained. "Kumo caught him, but the bloody pirate tried to strangle him when he got close enough. Fortunately, we were sent down there to switch shifts with him."

"Now, we'd like to ask the captain what kind of punishment we should give to him," The first blue-haired one said, giving Silver a mischievous glance.

"Why didn't you just leave him down in the cell, then?" the green-haired male alien asked.

"We couldn't figure out whether Scarlet would want US to inflict the punishment on him… or give her the pleasure of doing it herself." the second blue-haired one said.

"None o' ya are gonna inflict anyt'ing on me!" Silver snarled, thrashing in their grip. "Ye won't take me alive!"

The other two aliens raised their rifles, making Silver freeze. "Alright, take him in," the green-haired one said. "But I don't think she'll be happy to have THIS abnormal half-metal freak in her stateroom."

"She might, if it means she'll be allowed to kill him early." the first blue-haired one said.

The two aliens stepped aside, letting their 'crewmembers' step into the room.

Scarlet was sitting at her desk, and her head jerked up at the sight of Silver. "What iz the meaning of this?" she demanded.

"This prisoner was causing trouble in the brig," the first blue-haired one said, pushing Silver forward while the other stood by the door… locking it. "But not as much trouble as you're in."

"Wha…? What's going on?"

"Just a bit of business, ma'am," the second blue-haired one said, walking across the room and grabbing his guitar case. "Just a little bargain. Either you give us our lives and let us escape… or we'll take yours."

Scarlet gasped, reaching into her desk to grab a laser-pistol, but the first blue-haired one ran, leaped, slid onto her desk, and grabbed it before she did. Jim then raised the pistol to her face. "So, what's it going to be?" he asked, darkly.

"Y-You won't escape, even IF you kill me," Scarlet said. "My crew will kill you, once they find out-"

"Oh, but they won't. If you make one sound, BANG! You're dead." Finn said, making a gun-point with his hand.

"T'is not dat hard a decision, lass." Silver said, walking over to the desk and looking through the drawers until he found a remote to the deactivation-gizmo on his arm. "Ye jus' let us go free, never come after us again, an' we'll let ya live. …But, if ya try tah pull anyt'ing," clicking the remote and making the device pop off his arm, he switched his cyborg-hand into a laser-pistol, aiming it at Scarlet's face. "…Boom."

Scarlet scowled. "Even if I DO let you go, I'll tell ze authorities of your threats, and they'll just hunt you down harder than before," she said coldly.

"Not unless WE tell them about your little idea that involved trying to kill the famous Jim Hawkins," Finn boasted.

Scarlet scoffed. "Oh, please. No one sees him as a hero, anymore." she looked at Jim. "Turns out someone managed to convince your home-planet that you stole credit for ze discovery,"

"Who would do something like that?" Jim scoffed.

"I do not know… perhaps ze same person who wrote this newspaper article!" Scarlet grabbed a paper off her desk, showing the newspaper article.

Jim scanned the paper, his eyes widening. "What the…? Who wrote this-"

Scarlet kicked the pistol out of his hands while he was distracted, making it flip through the air and land in her hands. "Ha! You stupid boy… I can't believe you fell for zat!" she grabbed him by the hair and raised the pistol to his temple, facing Silver. "I suggest you deactivate your arm again, Monsieur Silver, unless you want your little comrade to have his brain pumped with lasers!"

"Hah!" Finn yelled grabbing a stack of papers and throwing them in Scarlet's face, shocking her and allowing Jim to slip free and catch her in a choke-hold, while he swiped the pistol out of her hands.

Scarlet thrashed in Jim's grip, but paused by the following shout: "INTERSTELLAR-NAVAL SHIP OFF THE PORT BOW!"

Jim, keeping a good grip on Scarlet, looked out the porthole at the approaching ship: the WD Magic. "That's one of the ships that's part of the search-team," he said, grinning. "C'mon, they can help us!"

He began to drag Scarlet out by her wrist, having Finn keep his laser-pistol pointed at her back. "Remember: one slip of the tongue and BANG!" he reminded her.

"Silver, you lay low until the coast is clear,"

"Aye, aye, Jimbo." Silver said, sitting back in Scarlet's chair.

They ran out, avoiding the shocked glances of Scarlet's crew as they approached the Magic, where Jim saw a familiar face. "Delila! Man, am I glad to see you," he said.

"Mr. Hawkins! I was wondering where you ran off to," Delila said, arching an eyebrow. "And why are you holding this woman's arms behind her back?"

"This is Captain Scarlet, and she's trying to kill us," Finn said.

"Ah, and who might you be?"

"Phineas Hawkins, ma'am, but everyone calls me 'Finn'… and I highly suggest you arrest this woman for attempted murder, kidnapping, and illegal confiscation of sentimentally valued items." he hugged his guitar-case on the 'sentimentally valued items', part.

"Now, why would I do that to my own associate?"

Finn's eyes widened. "Your… associate?"

"Oh, no…" Jim gasped, backing away. "Please don't tell me…"

"…That we are in this together?" Scarlet finished, grinning and kicking Jim in the shin and pushing him back. "Zat would be correct,"

"You see, Mr. Hawkins, Scarlet and I are big fans of your story." Delila said as she stepped on board. "The only thing we DIDN'T like was how Silver managed to escape. After hearing tales from the brig, as I may have told you before, I happened to piece together the fact that you and Silver were close… and that you no-doubt helped him escape."

"It wasn't our idea of a happy ending. So, we decided to write a NEW ending- involving abolishing your reputation and Silver's capture."

Jim scowled, glaring at Delila. "So THAT'S why you hired me." he said. "You didn't want my help to search for Silver- you were planning on using me as bait!"

"Oh, you ARE a smart lad, aren't you?" Delila said, chuckling as she raised her laser-rifle. "But, not smart enough to get out of THIS situation, I suppose."

"If Jim can escape villains like you once, he can do it again," Finn said, standing beside Jim as he raised his pistol. "Especially with ME on his side, now!"

"Do not be foolish, boy," Scarlet sneered. "We have you surrounded."

"You won't get away with it," Jim said. "People will find out about this. Word will get out… and you'll be sent to the gallows."

The two villains only chuckled. "You are wrong again, Monsieur Hawkins. As we speak, another associate of mine, Clifford Tides, is writing a newspaper article involving your assistance in helping Silver elude us." she looked at Finn. "I think I will call him and let him include THIS boy, too, though I doubt he'd be very important."

"Hey!" Finn snapped, offended.

"TIDES?" Jim yelled, his eyes widening.

"Yes… the man who has probably gotten ze Benbow's property now. He wasn't a champion at winning your mother's heart, but when it comes to sabotage he CAN be crafty…"

"Don't you see, Hawkins?" Delila said, matter-of-factly. "Your reputation is scarred, your friends have been captured, and even if you DO escape, you won't have a home to go to anymore. You've lost."

"Not yet." Finn said, then swung his guitar-case, hitting both Delila and Scarlet in the faces, making the canidid drop her rifle, which Jim grabbed. "Run Jim!"

They ran across the deck. "Don't just stand there, AFTER THEM!" Delila sputtered to the rest of the crew.

"You get Silver. I'll lead them off." Jim said to Finn, handing him a pistol.

"Right. See you on the other side, bro!" Finn called to him as they split-up. Several crew-members lunged at him, but he swung his guitar-case left and right, knocking them all back. One of them shot at him, but he held up his case, using it as a shield and causing the laser-blast to bounce off the chrome-design. He observed his guitar-case, then looked at the pistol. "Why do I even need a pistol? …Augh!" a blue-skinned purple-haired sailor jumped in front of him and he shot it. "Oh. That's why." He then ran on, bursting into the stateroom and alarming Silver. "We've got trouble!"

Silver immediately switched his arm into a laser-cannon. "So why are we jus' standin' around for?" he scoffed, then ran out with Finn, shooting at different crewmembers.

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Jim, in the meantime, ran down below deck, pursued by Delila, Scarlet, and a few other crewmembers, knocking down supplies behind him to slow them down until he reached the hull. He slammed the door shut and- remembering a trick Amelia had done- used the laser-rifle to smelt the handle as he rushed to untie a longboat after pulling down the handle to open the hatch. "If I can just get out of here…" he began to say, but was interrupted by a few laser-blasts, and turned to see that his foes had broken down the door and were coming towards him.

**So, I guess this is where we left off…**

Delila and Scarlet approached him, their weapons raised. "Well, 'Jimbo', I guess this is the one treasure-hunt you won't finish… alive." Scarlet chuckled.

**Ever have one of those days where you're trapped in a situation, and you end up doing something stupid?**

The villains approached him, making him back up and nearly topple over the edge. He looked down at the starry sky below him, knowing that he had no other choice…

**I did.**

He jumped.

"BLOODY STARS!" Delila shouted, as she and Scarlet looked over the edge, watching Jim fall downward.

Jim closed his eyes, feeling the wind rush against his face as images flashed through his mind: Silver… his mother… Finn… BEN… Morph… his father…

**I thought this was the end, that this was my last journey…**

*THUD!*

**Typically, I was wrong.**

Jim sat up, rubbing his head, seeing that he had fallen in a longboat. "Geez, Jim! When Silver said you did crazy-stunts in the past, I didn't think they were THAT crazy!" a familiar voice said.

Jim's eyes widened. "D-Dad?" he gasped.

Lee smiled. "Did you miss me?"

Jim's eyes narrowed and he slapped his father across the face.

"…I'll take that as a 'no'."

"Less talk, more steer. Finn's still up there!"

Lee's expression hardened. "Hang on, son. We're picking up your brother!" With the acceleration that only Jim had used, he flew the longboat upward.

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A/N: More action coming up next!

…You didn't honestly think I'd kill off JIM, did you? ;)

Review please! No flames or BANG!


	21. Chapter 20: Battle, Conquer & Cat AttacK

**Well, peoples (and non-peoples), it appears the story is coming close to an end… which is why I'm hesitant in writing new chapters. **

**Reviewer Thanks-For-Sticking-With-The-Story-For-So-Long**

**LaylaBinx: **Thank you. I always manage to make a quick save in my stories ;)

**StormBringer128: **Yeah, he's not THAT heartless (lol jk). And yes… and I silently snicker at what's in store for Silver XD

**Yuni30: **Apparently many people liked that part XD …And I'm SO sorry for the poor dialogue choice for Silver! (my only excuse was that I was thinking of him holding up his laser-cannon, not a pistol :p) And I'm glad you found that part funny, since that's how I imagined it would sound. And DUH, Jim is always the man with the plan! (he's the star, remember?) I'll reveal the little miracles later. …And pretty much everyone hates Delila, so you're not alone. : )

**Welsh Gem: **Comedy is good for the spirits, which is why I always throw some into my plots. When you want to make up clever villains, you must think clever- which, surprisingly, I've been successful for. And Tides will get his… though I'm having trouble deciding who should kill him. Sarah? Jim? Lee? Silver? …Maybe the Doppler Kids? XD And I'm glad you loved that twist! (I always like to include something TP-originated)

**Amalimrock: **Alright, so 'Phineas' isn't the most charming name in the world. It was just the first name I could come up with for his character ("Finbar" sounds kind of nerdy, too). I know Lee's decision wasn't too much of a surprise, I just wanted to have SOMEONE save Jim at the last minute, since Silver and Finn were busy and Delbert and Amelia were on another ship. And thank you. …Yes, there IS an Avatar reference (I could not resist ^-^) …And, duh, I had to make Delila and Scarlet CLEVER villains, not like Birdbrain Mary. …And Tides will get his. You'll see ;)

**Silverwolf407: **Thank you. And, no, Lee hadn't gone mad… he just got some sense slapped into him (no pun intended). Please calm down, I don't want one of my loyal reviewers getting a concussion from jumping up and hitting the ceiling… or Jupiter, depending on how high you jump.

**EH6: **Thank you, thank you. And I'm sure EVERY TP fan would want to slap Jim's dad lol.

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Several pirates flew backward from the blast of Silver's laser-cannon, while a couple others were knocked overboard by Finn's guitar-case. The duo backed up against the main mast as more pirates approached them. Grabbing a rope, Silver cut another and grabbed Finn, both of them shooting upwards and onto one of the branching masts, and they looked down, seeing that half the ship's deck was crowded with so many blue aliens that it looked like the entire deck was blue itself, and they knew they couldn't fight all of them off forever. "Do you see Jim anywhere?" Finn asked, looking down.

Silver used his cyborg eye, zooming in on the angered blue faces, none of them belonging to Jim. "No… Blast it, where'd he run off tah?" he replied.

One of the pirates shot at them, nearly hitting Finn's shoulder and startling the teenager, making him lose balance and fall backwards. "Silver!" The cyborg acted grabbed him by the front of his shirt with his extended cyborg-hand, yanking him back on the mast… but unfortunately, his guitar-case slid off and over the side of the ship. "No… no!"

"Forget about yer guitar, lad! We've got ot'er problems!" Silver pointed downward at a group of pirates, who were climbing the shrouds and mast, swords in their mouths and pistols in their hands. Finn and Silver both frowned, knowing there was no way out of this situation. The cyborg lied a hand on his shoulder, giving him a solemn look. "Finn Hawkins, 'tis has been a pleasure workin' wit' ya."

"Et tu, Mr. Silver," Finn raised his pistol and began shooting at the pirates coming up the mast, while Silver took care of the ones coming up the shrouds. Unfortunately Finn's aim wasn't the best and Silver's pistol and cannon were running low on energy, and more pirates kept climbing toward them. And there was one alien they missed- the one in the crow's nest, who was now aiming his rifle at Silver…

*Zap!*

"Yooowwwwwhoohoohoooieee!" The alien screamed in a 'Goofy' manner as he fell out of the crow's nest, landing on a few of his comrades who were still climbing up the mast. Finn looked up, grinning at what he saw.

Hovering above them in the longboat was Jim and Lee. "Lose something?" Jim asked rhetorically, handing Finn his guitar-case. His brother looked up at him and smiled, wide.

"Well, now dat ye got yer instrument back… Lets take t'ese blaggard hooligans out!" Silver exclaimed, jumping into the longboat with Finn.

"You know how to drive this thing, Jim?" Lee asked, taking his own laser-rifle out of the holster on his back and standing at the front of the longboat.

Jim smirked. "Er, Lee? Do ye really t'ink dat's a good id-" Silver began to say, knowing how 'well' Jim could drive a longboat.

"Hang on!" Jim exclaimed, taking over the controls and shooting downward towards the deck, then pulling up at the last minute, grinning as he watched several pirates dive onto the deck.

Scarlet and Delila ran back on deck, scowling when they saw their foes. "Don't just lay there! Shoot them dow-AUGH!" Delila began to order, then hit the deck when the longboat soared toward her, nearly taking her head off. "What the bloody-?"

Jim chuckled, steering to the left. Lee and Silver, in the meantime, shot at the pirates below them, ducking down only to avoid blasts and recharge their weapons. Jim took a sharp turn to the right, making several pirates dive overboard to avoid getting hit, but also causing the others to slam into the side of the longboat. "Alright, MY turn!" Finn said, grabbing one of the control-handles and steering the boat left, making Lee and Silver slide to the right.

"I've got it under control. You just… hit some guys with your guitar!" Jim retorted, tugging the controls to the right, forcing Lee and Silver to jerk to the left.

"You're better with a gun, I'M better with driving, so MOVE OVER!" …Right again.

"You might get us killed!" …Left again.

"Oh, and YOU won't?" …Right.

"Just… let… GO!" …Left.

"BOYS!" Lee shouted, grabbing his sons and pulling them away from the controls. "How about if I steer, and YOU both try to keep us from getting killed?"

"You? Ye steer like an old lady!" Silver scoffed.

"Shut up and keep shooting, Silver!" Lee shot the longboat forward, making a sharp-turn around the mast and flying low to the deck, making several pirates leap out of the way, then pulled up before they could crash into the wall, flying high and making the boat fly upside down!

As if everything were in slow motion, Silver shot downwards at a few pirates, while Jim shot at the engine-capacity radar by the helm, making sparks fly. The boat then veered downwards, pulling back into its right-side position. They saw a few pirates over at the laser-cannons, trying to aim at them… though, Silver beat them to the punch and shot a couple of his own cannon-blasts at the gun-barrels, colliding with their own blasts and making the machines explode. Finn and Jim let out excited shouts as they watched the action. Unfortunately, they didn't notice that a certain blue alien was aiming her gun at them…

*Zap!*

"Duck!" Lee shouted, pushing his sons down. The blast grazed deeply into his shoulder, but initially striking the longboat sail, causing a large hole to burn into it, making them lose control, veering straight towards the mast in a barrel-roll…

*CRASH! POW! BOOM!*

The longboat lied crashed against the broken mast as it fell forwards, crushing the front of the ship and anyone in its path, flames erupting all around.

Fortunately, Jim, Finn, Silver, and Lee managed to bail out, landing by the starboard side of the ship… unfortunately, Lee's wound was bleeding rapidly and he could hardly move, and Silver lay unconscious near the mast's broken end, and Finn was crushed underneath a couple crates. Jim was a short distance away from them, sitting up and rubbing his forehead. His head was spinning, he had a cut on his cheek, and his shirt was torn, revealing a couple splinters. He saw his father first and gasped, crawling over to him…

…but was blocked by Scarlet. "So, Monsieur Hawkins… what's your next ingenious plan?" she asked coldly, then smacked him across the face, then kicked him in the chest, making him fall back.

"Jim!" Finn shouted, struggling to pull himself out from under the crates. His guitar-case lay in front of him and he grabbed it, pulling it towards him and hoping to use it for support in prying himself out from under the wreckage.

"Did you think you would actually win zis battle?" she kicked him in the gut, then grabbed him by the hair, yanking him up and kneeing him in the ribs, then threw him onto the ground. "Well, guess what? You were wrong."

"What… did I ever do to you?" Jim demanded, grunting as he stood on his hands and knees.

Scarlet grabbed him by the hair again, glowering into his eyes. "What did you do? Nothing… You just got in ze way of my plans, zat is all. All ze years of planning…" She punched him. "All ze years of practicing…" She kicked him. "And all the years of trying to get ahead in zis universe… foiled! All because you had to join your cyborg friend and your daddy…" She smacked him again. "Tell me, Jim… if your father loved you, why did he leave you and never come back?"

Lee opened his eyes, trying to focus. "J-Jim…?" he said, his voice a whisper.

Jim glowered at her. "How…?" he demanded.

"Did I know? Please. Your mother always blubbered about it, and ze story got around…" She said, then took out her laser-pistol. "Now, I think I'll put an end to your story, once and for all- ze last chapter of Jim Hawkins!"

"Jim!" Lee gasped. With every bit of strength he could muster, he got up and dove toward Scarlet, grabbing her pistol. "You stay away from my son!"

"Let go, you imbecile!" Both of them wrestled for the gun, staggering towards the edge.

Finn looked over at them, his eyes wide. "Dad!" he gasped. Seeing that Scarlet had her back toward the edge, he developed an idea and slid his guitar case right behind her ankles, making her trip backwards.

"Whoa-oh!" Scarlet gasped, losing her balance as she started to fall over the edge. She grabbed the first thing she could get her hands on- Lee. But, rather than saving herself, she pulled both of them over the edge. Lee acted fast and grabbed onto the edge of the boat, pain shooting up his arm and tempting him to let go. Scarlet clung onto his shirt, which began to rip. "No, no no no, no!"

*_Rrrriiipp!*_

"AAAIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeee….." Scarlet screamed as she dropped down to the depths of space, floating away into the infinite galaxy...

Lee's grip began to slip, and he suddenly began to drop… until an extra set of hands grabbed his arm. He looked up, smiling at Jim's face as his son pulled him back on deck.

"Yes!" Finn exclaimed. A boot slammed down in front of him, and he looked upwards, seeing Delila's scowling face. "No."

"I've had enough of you meddlesome brats!" Delila snarled, aiming her rifle at him. "Any last words?"

Finn looked over, then smirked. "Yeah. You'd better duck."

"Wha…?"

*Zap!*

"Argh!" Delila stumbled back, holding her wounded arm, glowering over at Silver.

"Well, look who decided to join the living!" Lee joked, referring to Silver.

"Hey, not to interrupt anything, but… could someone help me out of here?" Finn asked. Silver and Jim walked over, lifting the crates off of him.

"Figures you'd get yourself in a situation like this, again." Jim joked.

Finn sneered. "Well, I AM your brother."

Delila tried to turn and run, but Lee grabbed her by the shoulder. "I wouldn't try to make a move, if I were you." he said, promisingly.

"Looks like your plan didn't go as planned, 'Captain'," Jim said, smirking darkly. "So, you have two choices: Give up and give yourself in… or end up like your associate."

Delila snarled. "I'll NEVER give up…" she snapped, then ran over the edge and leaped over to her own boat, landing on the deck. "I've still got my own crew-" she froze, seeing that her own crew was bound and gagged… being guarded by her 'mutineers'. She gasped and turned to run, but was stopped by the barrel of a gun.

…being held by Delbert. "Going somewhere, Miss?" he asked, sarcastically.

A couple sailors quickly grabbed Delila, pulling her arms behind her back and bounding her. Jim, Finn, Lee, and Silver stepped onto the boat. "Delbert! Good to see you, old friend." Lee exclaimed, then paused when he saw the astronomer's weapon. "Whoa! …I see you took up shooting."

Delbert adjusted his glasses, awed at who he saw. "Leland! My goodness, my dear man, where have you been all these years?" He then turned to Jim. "James, you're alive! …Oh, thank goodness. I was afraid of what I would have to tell your mother if she found out-" his eyes then fell on Silver. "…That you were with… a pirate… Um, Jim? C-Could you explain this little… matter?"

Jim sighed. "It's a long story, Doc." he said. "You see, I-"

"YOU!" came an angry, murderous, ear-piercing shout.

Silver looked to the left, his eyes wide. "Oh, have mercy!" he gasped.

*BAM!*

Seconds later, Silver was tackled by- who else?- Captain Amelia. "You blaggard, metallic…!/C-Captain, please! Let me explai-ACK!/I'll see you hang, you…!/It's all a misundersta-OOF!/Taking over my ship, trying to kill us, taking off without a trace…!/Someone, get her off o' me!/Shut your trap, you wretched pirate!" Amelia and Silver shouted, as Amelia tried to put Silver in a choke-hold, head-lock, strangling-position, and the cyborg kept trying to pry her off of him.

"Want me to shoot her?" Finn asked, raising his pistol.

"With YOUR aim? You'd probably miss… Worst, you would probably hit Silver." Jim said, then turned to Delbert. "C'mon, before she kills him."

Delbert looked at him. "I think that's her plan." he said. Jim gave him a look, and he sighed. "Amelia… wait! Let him go! …And stop trying to claw out his mechanical-eye!"

Jim and Delbert grabbed Amelia and pulled her off of him. "Captain, calm down. Let me explain,"

Amelia breathed heavily, then straightened herself out, turning sharply to Jim. "You'd better have a good reason for running off with this… this ill-mannered, black-hearted scoundrel, James!" she said, sternly. …Since she had never called Jim by his first name, everyone knew this was gonna be bad.

Jim sighed. "I think it's best if I started from the beginning."

And he told his story… starting with how he let Silver go.

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A/N: And the truth comes out!

Review, please! …Don't flame, or I'll have Amelia try to kill Silver again!


	22. Chapter 21: Letting Go of Your Grudges

Well, we're nearing the end. …Confound it.

**Reviewer Thanks**

**HG96: **Yay, I missed your reviews! =D I'm very sorry about your being in pain, so hopefully a new chapter will help you feel at least a little better. …Amelia attacking Silver again WOULD be funny, but we want him to live, remember? Lol (and the whole people and non-people thing is just something I use when I open fics, just as a joke) And a LOT of people want to bash up Lee, for some reason, lol. And I love Goofy too, which is why I included his trademark scream ^-^ And I WOULD have let Scarlet live… but in the thrill of the moment I decided to kill off one of the villains :p And even though Tides is a villain, you're right when you said he was kind of lame (trust me, he gets lamer, lol) Anyway, I'm glad I managed to make you laugh and give you a shock or two, and I am glad you managed to catch up… Hope you feel better soon!

**EH6: **I would have killed off Lee, but then that would be TOO much drama, wouldn't it? Lol I'm glad you liked those parts… along with everyone else (they made me laugh too… and I was writing them!)

**StormBringer128: **Thank you. To answer your question, Delbert is a friend of Sarah's, so he had met Lee while he and Sarah were still married. …Yeah, I'll have to include more of a backstory on that :p

**Welsh Gem: **I believe everyone knew that XD Thank you… double time for the inspiration! :)

**Amalimrock: **Yeah, I guess that's kind of confusing. I read a TP story where the ships actually had this oxygen-supply-thing around them and you could only float so far or else you'd get the air sucked out of your lungs… so I kinda went with that idea. But thanks for the nit-pick anyway! I could change it, too… maybe for a 'special' cliffhanger? *nudge nudge wink wink* ;)

**Silverwolf407: **(If any scientists want to know why Jupiter has a dent in it, contact this reviewer, lol) I'm glad you found the chapter realistic. Like I said before, I try to make it to where it sounds like a real honest-to-God sequel, so it REALLY makes me happy to see that you find all the characters realistic, especially my OC :) …and I MAY include a 'tender moment' between Jim and his dad (both of 'em, lol!) And you're pretty much the only one who feels bad for Silver… and I'm with you. *hides behind Jim next to you* Never tick off Amelia.

**RintinDestiny: **I love POTC too! ^-^ …And just wait 'til you read the rest! ;D

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Jim, Finn, Lee, and Silver stood in Amelia's stateroom that evening as Jim finished explaining everything to Amelia. He stood in front of her desk, while Lee and Finn sat in a couple chairs behind him, their father having a bandage around his shoulder. Silver stood in the far corner (keeping as far away from Amelia as possible), with Delbert near him- having been ordered by his wife to keep an eye on the cyborg, though her stern glare stayed on him, making the astronomer question why he was to keep an eye on the pirate in the first place.

"So, you're telling me that you let Silver go last year during our voyage to Treasure Planet?" Amelia asked in a calm, yet firm, tone after Jim finished.

"Yes, ma'am." Jim replied, solemnly.

"And you did so because you had developed a trust toward the cyborg, despite the fact that you knew he was after the map, and that he had saved your life?"

"Twice," Finn added. Lee gave him a stern look and he sank in his seat.

"I see." Amelia then looked over at Silver. "Tell me, Mr. Silver, did you have any hints that Mr. Hawkins was on to your scheme?"

"Well, I guess I had a few theories, but-" Silver began to say, but Amelia caught him with another glare. "(sigh) Aye, I did."

"Yet you began to share a bond with him. Were you trying to gain his trust and keep him off your trail, or were your emotions real?"

Silver rubbed the back of his neck. "Tah tell deh truth, Captain, I was planning on trying tah keep Jim out o' me business, namely by keeping him busy wit' work. But, as it turns out, he began tah keep ME busy- always getting in-tah trouble, havin' tah make sure he was getting his chores done, keeping him from tryin' tah pick fights wit' deh other pirates… Why, deh boy would've thrown himself overboard wit'-out me around!" As he said this, Jim had to roll his eyes. "But, then again, I knew he was troublesome because…" he paused, looking at Lee and Jim and wondering if he should continue.

"Because…?"

"Because of me." Lee spoke up, earning Amelia's attention, and he shook her hand. "I don't believe I've introduced myself, ma'am. My name is Leland Hawkins… I'm Jim's father."

"Ah, yes. I believe I've heard about you…" she turned to Delbert. "You said you knew him, didn't you dear?"

"Um, yes… Yes I did." Delbert said, clearing his throat. "I met him after he married Sarah. …Although, I don't know him THAT well, since he was always going off on long voyages. Last time I heard of him he had left Sarah-Oomph!"

That 'oomph' came from Amelia slapping her hand over Delbert's mouth. "THANK YOU, darling, I think we go the message." she turned back to Silver. "Continue, Silver."

"Er, as I was sayin', I knew Jim was a tad troubled due to Lee's… absence," Silver said, feeling sympathy when he saw the look of shame on Lee's face. "When Jim told me about it, I was planning on usin' it as an excuse tah throw work at him… but as deh weeks passed, I realized dat he didn't need someone tah jus' look out for him, but someone tah _teach_ him as well… an' be there for him durin' a dark time."

"And you still tried to pull off a mutiny."

Silver let out a sigh. "Tah tell deh truth, Captain, I wasn't planning on startin' a mutiny 'til we found deh treasure… But deh morning after Mr. Arrow's death (may he rest in peace), deh crew was startin' tah get edgy, an' dat blasted bug dat I called a 'crewmate' started accusing me of goin' soft. …I said t'ings- t'ings dat I didn't believe me-self- tah keep 'em layin' low. Unfortunately… Jim happened tah hear t'ose t'ings… an' dat's when I lost his trust, an' we became bitter enemies again. Dat's when I started deh mutiny."

Amelia had her hands folded together, her index fingers sticking out and pressing against her lips as she listened. "But you still saved his life."

"Twice," Finn added again, and Lee once again gave him a stern look. "Sorry."

Silver nodded. "Aye… Deh planet was startin' tah explode, Jim was hangin' on for dear life above a river o' lava, an' I had tah make a choice: save some treasure, or save Jim." he said, then unleashed a grin. "I suppose ye can guess which one I chose."

"Captain," Jim said, lying his hands on Amelia's desk and looking her straight in the eye. "I know that Silver has committed crimes in the past, and I know… (sigh) That he had hurt us, in more ways than one. But I'm willing to vouch for who he really is- not by reputation, not by character, but by heart. …And someone like him doesn't deserve to face the gallows."

"Please, ma'am," Finn said, standing next to Jim now. "We know he's done wrong… but could you find it in your heart to forgive him?"

"_Forgive_ him?" Amelia sputtered. "After the raids he lead, the mutinies he started, and the trouble he's caused?" Jim and Finn gave her solemn looks, and she leaned back and sighed.

Lee walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Captain, might I have a word?" he asked, then lead her over to a corner. "Listen, I know you hate Silver with a passion because of his mutiny… but you never noticed how he managed to change Jim from a rebellious, ill-mannered troublemaker to the young hero everyone knows today. You must admit, Amelia, if it weren't for Silver, Jim wouldn't be here today… and neither would you. Silver may be a pirate, but he's a pirate who loves those two boys over there as if he were their own father. Are you really going to hold a grudge that would help crush that kind of bond?"

Amelia rested her forehead in her hand. Jim then walked up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder now. "Amelia, please. If I have the heart to forgive my own father for his mistake, then you should have the heart to forgive Silver for his mistake." he said.

"…Especially since he helped bring down the most colossal villains of the century," Finn said.

"You know, he has a point," Delbert agreed, rubbing his chin.

Amelia sighed. "Alright, alright, I'll let it go… for now." she said, rolling her eyes. "But, he will still have to face the court." she turned to Jim, sympathetically. "I know you all love Silver, James, but it still won't change the fact that he's a criminal. It's not my decision to make, whether he should live or not, and we can't just let him go again, otherwise the search will never end. The best we can do is to give a good testimony, otherwise…" she let the sentence end there, unable to finish while looking at the sad looks on everyone's faces.

Silver stepped up to her and took off his hat courteously. "We understand, ma'am." he sighed. "Thank ye, anyway, for understandin'." They all walked out of the room. Finn had tears welling up in his eyes and Jim hung his head low, and the cyborg put a hand on each of their shoulders. "C'mon, lads… t'is may be our final voyage together. Lets make deh most of it, eh?"

Before anyone could reply, Jim grunted and fell to his knees, gripping his ribcage. "Jim! What's wrong?" Lee gasped.

"I-I don't know…" Jim said. "I felt fine a minute ago-oh!"

"C'mon, lets get you to the infirmary." Delbert said as he and Lee helped Jim up, guiding him to a room with a small mattress that hovered in the air on a metal frame, white cabinets full of jars, packages, and bottles. "Now, lets have a look."

Jim took off his shirt (a/n: and a thousand fan-girls screamed), and they noticed a large, black bruise on his abdomen from when they had crashed, running from his chest down to his stomach and was as wide as half of his ribcage. He had a scrape on his shoulder as well, a bit of blood running down his arm, and in the light they noticed a couple bruises on his face. "Geez… you really got messed up!" Finn gasped.

Lee faced him, sneering. "You're no better." he said, noticing that Finn had a few bruises and scrapes as well… and that was only the front. "Off with the shirt, c'mon."

Finn sighed and took off his shirt (a/n: and even more fan-girls screamed, lol). His abdomen wasn't as badly bruised as Jim's… but his back looked worse, due to being crushed under crates- twice. "And you said _I_ got messed up," Jim scoffed, jokingly.

Delbert walked over to the cabinets, searching for the bandages. "Drat. I can't find any bandages in here," he muttered, looking in another cabinet, then turned and started walking out of the room. "Wait here. I'm going to check my medical kit in my room and see if I have any there,"

While Delbert stepped out, Silver and Lee walked over to the cabinets and grabbed peroxide, anti-viral cream, and a couple bottles of pain-reliever. Lee applied peroxide to Jim's cuts while Silver rubbed the cream on a couple scars on Finn's back. "Ahh! That burns," Jim hissed in pain.

"Wah! That's cold!" Finn gasped, flinching.

"Huh. Ye'd t'ink dat after getting in a wreck, they wouldn't whine about medical treatment." Silver said to Lee.

"Yeah, I thought you guys would be tougher than that," Lee chuckled.

"Look who's talking… you guys are just as injured as we are," Jim sneered, pointing at his father's shoulder.

"Yeah, just wait 'til YOU get treated," Finn added, pointing at a scrape on Silver's organic arm.

"Ah, just be glad we're alive," Lee retorted.

Jim chuckled, and nodded. "We are." he said seriously, smiling.

Lee smiled back, resting a hand on Jim's good shoulder. "Thank you… for forgiving me."

"…Thanks for coming back," Jim said, resting a hand on Lee's shoulder… his bandaged one…

"Ahh! Wrong shoulder, wrong shoulder…"

"Huh. I always thought my ol' man would be tougher,"

Everyone chuckled, just as Delbert walked back in, carrying some bandages. "I found some bandages," he said. "Turns out one of the sailors forgot to put them…" he paused, looking at the smiling faces. "What's so funny?"

Finn shrugged. "Nothing." he replied.

"Just glad that we're alive," Jim added. His father chuckled and put an arm around him… and his wounded shoulder. "Ahh! Wrong shoulder, wrong shoulder…" Lee quickly removed his hand. Jim gave him a smirk and they both chuckled.

Delbert let out a chuckle as well, handing Lee the bandages. "Well, since you men have already gotten started treating your wounds, I'll let you finish." he said, then walked out, letting out a gleeful sigh. "Ah, fathers and their sons." He walked by, not noticing Amelia standing by the doorway.

She looked through the glass window at the two teenage boys… and their two fathers.

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It was after dark since the rescue, and Delila sat in the brig full of despair. "I-I can't believe it… all those months of planning…" she was stammering, knees pulled up to her chest as she rocked back-and-forth in shock. "I-It was all well-thought out, I… I don't know how it could have failed… So close… so close…"

Jim stared through the grid on the main deck, staring down into the brig at the female canidid. He never suspected her of being part of this kind of scheme… almost like he never suspected a pirate to care about someone other than themselves- only reversed.

"I can't believe it… I almost had him. I ALMOST HAD HIM!"

"AH, SHUT UP, YOU MUTT!" One of the pirates in the brig shouted.

"Don't use that tone with me! I'm your captain!"

"Not anymore, you ain't!" Another pirate snapped.

Jim rolled his eyes and began to walk away, letting the prisoners shout back-and-forth at each other. He leaned against the railing of the ship, up at the stars. He heard footsteps- a clomp and a metallic creak. He didn't have to look to know that it was Silver. "Some day, eh Jimbo?" the cyborg said as he stretched. "'Tis not everyday dat ye take down a band o' pirates,"

Jim shrugged. "Nah… it's more like once a year, for me," he joked, smirking. "I might as well make it a new tradition- hunt down the most loathsome buccaneers in the galaxy and make it home for dinner."

Silver let out a laugh, patting Jim on the back. "Oy, ye haven't changed much, have ye lad?"

Jim looked over at his shoulder, seeing Finn sitting on a barrel strumming his guitar while Lee stood next to him, an arm around his shoulders as he smiled at his son. "A little, as it turns out."

Silver nodded. "Ye made deh right choice in forgiving him, Jim."

"When I looked at it from his point of view, I guess I couldn't hold on to my grudge forever." he then smirked again. "Plus, I've always wanted a brother." Silver chuckled at this, though Jim let out a sigh, his smile fading. "…I just wonder if my mom will,"

Silver put an arm around Jim, patting his shoulder as they looked back up at the stars. "We'll see, Jimbo, we'll see…"

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Sarah put the mop aside, sitting down at an empty table. She had called a repairman, plumber, electrician, and exterminator to come and handle the fiasco, which caused her to keep the Inn closed for more than 12 hours. The workers passed by, nodding her goodbye as they walked out, and she bid them farewell… sighing sadly when she looked at their bills, knowing that she would have to spend every cent she earned that year to pay off the debt.

She put the papers aside and began to weep. The door then opened, and Elliot walked in. "Hi, Mrs. Hawkins. Has Jim come home yet?" the small elephanid asked, pausing when he saw Sarah's tearful expression. "Why are you crying?"

"Oh, no reason, Elliot…" Sarah lied, brushing away the tears. "Just had a little trouble. …What were you asking?"

"I was wondering if Jim was back. He's been gone for a long time, now."

Sarah sighed. "I know… He's still on his voyage. He should be back in a few weeks… I hope." she opened her locket, looking at a holographic image of Jim at the Benbow's grand re-opening. She shut the locket, knowing that the scene only made her miss her son even more.

"That's a pretty locket. Where did you get it?"

"This? Oh, an old friend gave it to me back in High School, before he moved."

"Was he your boyfriend?"

Sarah let out a giggle. "No, we were just friends. Here's a hologram of us," she opened the locket, switching to the staticky image of her teenage self and her old friend. "The picture's kind of fuzzy… but the memory is still clear in my mind."

"What was his name?"

Sarah smiled, recalling her old friend. "His name was John…"

*BAM!*

The door flew open again, and BEN, Morph, and the Doppler children ran in, slamming the door shut, gasping for breath. "(pant, pant) Did he follow us?" the robot wheezed.

Morph looked through the window, shifting into a pair of binoculars and scouting the area. "Nope," he replied, changing back to his original form.

"Boys! What on Montressor is going on?" Sarah demanded, walking over and picking up Derek.

BEN turned to Sarah. "Oh, hi Mrs. H.!" he said cheerfully, then turned frantic. "You gotta call the cops!" he began shoving her toward the holo-phone. "Quick, dial 9-1100 before he gets here!"

"Wait, wait, HOLD IT." Sarah turned around and set Derek aside, then gripped BEN by his shoulders. "What's going on? Who's after you?"

BEN and Morph looked at each other, then turned back to Sarah. "You _maaaay _want to sit down for this…"

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A/N: …Okay, who's all ready for the last chapter?

Please review. Do not flame or you'll never see another chapter again! I'M SERIOUS!


	23. Chapter 22: Starting Over

Well, guys, we're nearing the end. Brace yourselves!

**Reviewer Thanks-So-Much-For-Reading-This-Far!**

**RintinDestiny**: I know, I don't want it to end either! But many good stories must come to an end- but not TOO quickly ;) I'm glad you love my story so much! ^-^

**StormBringer128: **We'll see how ready you are… and prepare to freak out ;)

**LaylaBinx: **Thanks ^-^ I'm glad you liked it so much.

**Silverwolf407: **I won't lie… your review made me laugh XD And Amelia may help Silver… as for the rest of your questions *sly chuckle* You'll have to read and see ;) And I'm glad you like my other stories, too!

**Welsh Gem: **3 words- I'm. Not. Saying! …And Tides will get his. Don't worry ;)

**Amalimrock: **Yeah, I think I beat everyone to the punch on that one, lol. And, yeah, everyone loves Silver… and I'm glad you like Finn's remarks ^-^ …Hope you're ready for THIS chapter!

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The _WD Magic _arrived on the Montressor Spaceport two weeks later in the afternoon. While the rest of the search-teams were glad their voyage was finally over, others wished that it didn't have to end… specifically Jim, Finn, Lee and Silver. Amelia advised that Silver should be placed in shackles and his cyborg parts disengaged now that they had arrived, knowing that the pirate's face would stir up panic among civilians. Before the others could protest, Silver agreed to her terms, deciding not to cause any arguments… or riots.

"I'm afraid the court-house won't be open until tomorrow morning," Amelia said, looking at her watch. "Until then, Silver, you'll be spending the night in prison."

"W-Wait, can't he stay with us?" Finn asked, trying not to sound pleading.

Amelia sighed. "I'm afraid not, Mr. Hawkins. I was given orders to track down Silver and bring him to justice… but I'm afraid they didn't include giving me the power to decide where he should spend his last night."

Lee rubbed his chin. "But… you DO have the power to decide which prison to take him to, right?" he half-asked, half-suggested.

"Yes, I suppose." she arched an eyebrow. "I recognize that look, Mr. Hawkins. Your son makes it all the time when he's up to something. …What are you thinking?"

Lee smirked. "I'm thinking, before we bring in Silver, that we should make a quick stop."

Soon, they were back on the ship, heading to a nearby dock. As Jim looked down at the planet they were approaching, he turned to his father. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.

Lee sighed. "Believe me, Jim, if I continue to avoid it, I'll never handle it. …Besides, this could be my only chance. To skip it now would be yet another mistake that would haunt me."

Jim only nodded.

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It had been a long two weeks for Sarah, cleaning the Inn and double-checking all the rooms and appliances to make sure everything was working. She allowed BEN and Morph to bring the kids over to stay at the Inn until Amelia and Delbert returned… due to the fact that the robot and protoplast (namely robot) were too afraid to stay alone at the Doppler residence. She didn't mind their company one bit, especially since customers had stopped visiting and residents had moved out- even Tides didn't show his face! The only one who ever came by was Elliot, and she could never tell whether it was because the young elephanid was eager to see Jim come home or because he could tell she needed some sort of moral support.

But now, her angst had disappeared and she found herself sashaying across the dining area in her best dress after hearing that her son was coming home, safe and sound. BEN was upstairs, oiling and polishing himself to look best for Jim's arrival as well, all the while assisting Morph as they prepared the Doppler children for the occasion, too.

*Knock knock*

"Coming!" Sarah exclaimed, rushing to the door to see her son.

…Being caught by surprise when she saw Tides in the doorframe, smiling at her. "Hello, Sarah." he said.

Her smile faded as she glowered at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to apologize for the misunderstanding between us. You see, I saw how slow your business was going, and I always felt that being in charge of a mining corporation wasn't my place in life… so I thought I could help you out, and maybe find a new calling."

"I see… I suppose you ALSO planned on sabotaging my Inn, chasing my customers out, so that I'd go out of business and YOU could take it over!" Hearing the shouting, BEN and Morph, accompanied by the Doppler children, rushed out of their room and looked over the stair railing, watching the scene.

Tides gave her a stunned expression. "What are you talking about? I'd never do that!"

Sarah grimaced. "Don't give me that. You've been after the property from the start! BEN told me everything! …Jim was right. You never cared about me- all you cared about was putting me out!" She pushed him towards the door. "Now, I suggest you get out of here before I call the police, and NEVER come within a hundred space-kilometers of _my_ Inn!"

Tides glowered. He had planned too long and worked too long to try to pull off his plan, and he didn't plan on failing just yet. He grabbed Sarah by the arms and swung her around, pinning her against the wall. "Now, listen up, Hawkins… Either you hand over the deed to this Inn, or so help me your son won't live to sail again!"

"Rah!" Morph shouted, soaring down and biting Tide's ankle.

"Agh!"

Sarah reached over and grabbed a fork off a nearby table, jabbing it into Tides' side, shoving past him while he grunted in pain, but he wasn't about to give up and grabbed her by the wrist. "Let me go!" she shouted, kicking him in the shins, but he kept his grip.

"Not until you hand over the property, you wench- OW!"

That 'ow' exclamation came when Tides got hit in the head with a block. He looked up, seeing the Doppler children armed with toys, ready to throw. "FIRE!" BEN shouted, giving the command and the kids immediately began to pelt Tides with their toys.

"Ow! Ouch! Hey! Oof! KNOCK IT OFF, YOU BRATS!" Morph transformed into a pair of hands and tied his shoelaces together, making him trip. "Yow-whoop!"

*Thud!*

Sarah rushed to the holophone, but Tides grabbed her by the ankles and tripped her onto the ground with him, and he grabbed her by the hair and forced her back up with him, taking a switchblade out of his pocket and holding it against her throat. "Nobody make a move! If any of you so much as blink, I'll slit her throat!" he then whispered roughly into her ear, "Now, either you show me where the deed is, or your floor will be splattered with a bit of red."

"Think again!" A new voice said, and Tides was suddenly caught in a choke-hold, dropping his knife in shock and releasing Sarah. He looked over at his attacker, glowering in Jim's eyes.

"Gack! You're supposed to be dead!" Tides gasped.

"Not today."

Tides snarled and threw Jim off his back, slamming him to the floor as he retrieved his blade, gripping Jim's throat as he raised it above his face. "We'll fix that…"

*BAM!*

Tides was shoulder-slammed by Finn, who then hit him across the face with his guitar. "Back off my brother, you creep!" he snapped.

Tides looked for his blade, seeing it a foot away from him. He crawled over to retrieve it… until a boot slammed on top of it. "I wouldn't think about it, mate." Lee said coldly.

Tides, now panicking, quickly ran to the door- stopping dead in his tracks when he saw Silver standing there. "Goin' somewhere?" the cyborg asked, sarcastically.

"Augh!" Tides screamed, running across the room and into the kitchen, disappearing out the back door.

…Only to be stopped by Amelia, Delbert, and a couple police-droids. "Officers, arrest this man on the grounds of assistance in piracy, assault, and unauthorized libel." Amelia said.

The police-droids shackled Tides' hands. Hearing footsteps, he turned to see Jim, Finn, Lee, Sarah, Silver, BEN, Morph, and the Doppler children standing behind him, glowering yet grinning. "I don't get it… How did you know?" he stammered.

"Apparently your associates don't always keep secrets to themselves," Jim said. "Oh, and next time you want to spread rumors about me…" he threw one of Tides' newspapers at him. "Come up with a better story."

Tides looked at Sarah, giving her a sad look. "I suppose this would be a bad time to ask for your hand in marriage?"

"Officers, take him away!" Sarah sneered.

"W-Wait, no! Please! It's all a big mistake! I was put up to it! No! Noooo!" Tides was thrown into the back of a police-car and hauled away.

"What's going to happen to him?" BEN asked.

"The usual thing for any scoundrel who teams up with a pirate in order to steal someone's home, all the while butcher their reputation." Lee said with a shrug.

"…And that would be?"

"Gallows." Amelia said bluntly, then smiled and picked up one of her daughters as the kids tugged at her and Delbert's pantlegs, wanting to be in their parents' arms after missing them for so long.

BEN developed a stunned look on his face. "Oh…"

"Eeeee!" Morph squealed, flying up to Silver and circling his head.

"Eh, Morphie!" Silver chuckled, catching the blob in his hands. "I wondered how ye were doin'! Did ye miss me?" In response, the protoplast covered his face in licks. "Heh heh, I t'ought so!"

"Mr. Hawkins…" Amelia said, tapping Jim on the shoulder. He and Finn both spun around. "Er, and _other_ Mr. Hawkins. …I know this may be the wrong time to bring this up, but I'm afraid it's time for Silver to be taken into authorized custody."

Morph looked at Silver, sadly, then nuzzled against his cheek one last time before floating back over to Jim. The two teenagers looked at their cyborg friend, emotions welling up inside them as they thought about what could happen to him tomorrow… thinking this could be their last moment together. All at once they both rushed over and hugged the cyborg. Lee and Sarah stood next to each other, watching the sight, and he looked at his wife, wondering what she'll do once she realizes her long-lost husband had returned… and how hard she would smack him.

"We're gonna miss you…" Finn said, tears falling from his eyes.

"Aye, lads… I'm gonna miss ye, too." Silver said, sounding a bit choked up as well. He looked at the boys in his arms, his gaze slowly rising to meet Amelia's, who just turned hers away.

Their embrace came to an end and Silver was placed into another police car.

Amelia and Delbert climbed into a carriage to take their little ones home. Amelia let out a heavy sigh. "All this time, I wanted that cyborg to hang by a noose… now I'm starting to regret it." she said quietly as their children lied on her lap.

Delbert stared ahead as he held the reigns, then gave a small shrug. "Well, there IS another way…" he said, and Amelia looked at her husband, curiously.

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Jim walked around the corner, over to a gutter-spout. "Where are you going?" Finn asked him.

"Rooftop. …Want to come?" Jim replied, but didn't wait for a response and continued climbing up to his usual spot.

Finn shrugged and followed him up… freezing when he reached the top and looked down. "So… how do we get back down?

Jim shrugged… giving Finn a good reason to sit close to him and away from the edge. They remained quiet, listening to the silence of the night… which was broken by voices coming from inside the Inn. They looked at each other. "Mom and Dad," Jim said in an obvious tone, and they looked through a circular window, seeing Lee and Sarah in the dining area.

"Sarah, just let me explain…" Lee began.

"Explain what?" Sarah snapped. "That you took off because your other wife- who you kept secret- had died, and your son- who you ALSO hid from me- needed you? Why didn't you just tell me the truth?"

"Because… because I was scared! I wanted to tell you… I wanted to tell ALL of you, but I could never find a way until THAT day came… I wanted to fix everything, but I didn't know how. I'm sorry."

Sarah crossed her arms. "It's too late for that."

Jim and Finn looked at each other, knowing that this wasn't going well… just as they imagined.

Lee faced Sarah. "Sarah …I know I messed up in the past, and I know (sigh) that you'll never forgive me… But I want to make it up to you. I want to make things right." he said, solemnly. Jim looked at his mother, recalling saying the same thing to her a year ago… wondering if she would give his father a second chance like she did for him.

Sarah covered her face with her hand, shaking her head. "I-I just don't know, Leland." she said, bitterly. "I could never forgive you back then… why should I, now?"

"Because I did," Sarah turned, seeing Jim looking at her through the open window.

"Jim?"

"Just a minute," Jim pulled away from the window. His parents heard a skidding sound on the roof, followed by muffled voices.

"I dunno…" came the first muffled voice.

"…It's easy, just don't look down…" came the second muffled voice.

Lee and Sarah looked at each other, arching eyebrows. "That's it… that's it… w-wait, not too fast… NOT TOO FAST-"

"WAUGH!"

*THUD!*

Lee and Sarah cringed at the sound, then watched as Finn and Jim walked through the front door… covered in dirt, their hair messed up. "Next time, _I _pick the sulking spot," Finn muttered.

"You didn't HAVE to come up," Jim retorted, then turned to his parents, straitening out his hair and unleashing a sigh. "Mom, listen… I didn't know the reason why Dad left, and I hated him even more once I found out. …But, once I thought about the situation he put himself in and realized that he actually felt guilt, I had to let it go."

Sarah shook her head. "I'm afraid it's going to be harder for me, Jim…" she said.

"Ma'am," Finn said, feeling uneasy talking to Sarah, especially when she faced him now. "I know you probably don't want anything to do with me… heck, you probably wish that I didn't exist… but, please, hear me out. Dad did things he wasn't proud of, he's made mistakes just like anyone else… but I believe he paid for it when he lost my mom… and his your trust. All he wants to do is start over and try to fix things."

"Mom… can you please give him one last chance?" Jim asked. "If we can, you can."

Sarah looked at Jim and Finn, then at Lee, stepping up to him. "I'm sorry. I can't now…" she said sadly…

*SLAP!*

… then smacked Lee across the face. "Although, now that I got THAT out of my system, I suppose I could." she said.

Lee rubbed the side of his face, smirking. "Man, woman, you haven't changed a bit!" he chuckled, putting an arm around her.

She shrugged. "Well… I suppose it's the least I could do, since you brought our son home safely." she smiled at Finn. "Both of them." The two teenagers grinned, and the family sat down at a table. "Now, tell me boys… what happened on that voyage, exactly?"

They told her their story- downplaying the life-threatening parts, as Delbert would have advised- and she listened to every word, her eyes widening in horror on the parts about Scarlet. By the time they had finished, it was almost 1 in the morning. "Well, boys, I think I'll turn in for the night," Lee said, yawning and stretching, heading for the stairs.

"Leland…" Sarah said warningly, not even looking at him.

Lee changed his direction and headed for the sofa- like any husband who was still in trouble with his wife. "Goodnight, boys."

Finn and Jim looked at each other. "Well… at least she didn't kill him," Jim said, shrugging.

"Yeah. I was afraid she was going to strangle him like what Amelia tried to do to Silver," Finn said, snickering.

Sarah let out a small chuckle, then sighed. "I just hope they go easy on John, after what he did," she said.

"Yeah, I hope so too-" Jim started to say sadly, then froze and looked at his mom, recalling that he had never brought up Silver's first name to her. "Wait, how do you know his first name?"

Sarah sighed, taking off her locket and opening it to the fuzzy image. "The same way you would know him, Jim." she said, smiling as- after all this time- the image finally cleared up. "He was a good friend of mine."

Jim and Finn looked at each other, shocked, then at the image on the locket.

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Silver sat in his cell, sighing sadly.

The door swung open then, and the guard approached. It was a gray-haired wolfid, female, and she unlocked his cell. "C'mon, cyborg. Time to carry out your sentence," she said.

Silver sighed again, standing up. "An' what's deh sentence t'is time?" he asked rhetorically.

The wolfid shrugged. "Apparently, they chose exile for you."

This was something Silver didn't expect. "Exile? Where to?"

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A/N: …If this chapter seemed a bit cheesy, I apologize :p

Alright, so this ISN'T the final chapter… we still have the epilogue! :D

Please review. Don't flame because… well… just don't.


	24. Epilogue: A Happy Ending

Well, everyone, I hate to break your hearts, but this is the last chapter (for real). This was a fun story to write, and I'm glad so many of you loved it, and I hate to see it end as much as you guys do. I thank you all for your loyal reviews and inspirations, and hope to hear from you all again.

**Reviewer THANK YOUS!**

**RintinDestiny: **Shocking you guys is one of the things I enjoy most about writing ^-^

**EH6: **It makes me glad to know that I can make people laugh. Thank you!

**HG96: **All good things must come to an end, my friend, otherwise how could we value them? …Though, please be careful not to faint again, lol

**StormBringer128: **I think EVERYONE loved that part. And don't worry, Silver might recognize Sarah in time. ;)

**Silverwolf407: **…Yeah, breathing would be good for you, lol. And I, too, found it funny that the entire Hawkins family knew Silver. Subliminal message? I'd say so! And you'll find out where Silver will end up… once you let him go. *Silver gives me a 'Help me!' look* …Please?

**Welsh Gem: **I thank you for your ideas, my friend. You'll see where Silver will go, and I'm glad you like the fact that Sarah and Lee are together again.

**Yuni30: **Apparently EVERYONE finds it strange that Sarah knows Silver, lol. . And, yes, the Doppler children are both cute AND vicious, and Morph is more useful than what others think. And I MAY be merciful about Silver's location… as long as you don't strangle me, lol

**Amalimrock: **I agree on the fact that Jim gets his slapping-skills from his mom, lol. …And, I curse your inappropriate mind as well (you have a dirty little mind, don't you?).

Well, without further ado, here is the final chapter.

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The paper-boy dropped off a stack of fresh newspapers at the Benbow two weeks later. Rather than having a rumor in it, the paper had the following headline:

**HE'S DONE IT AGAIN!**

**Montressor's very own Jim Hawkins returned from a search-mission for the cyborg pirate, Long John Silver, only to discover an undercover piracy-scheme, being led by the infamous Captain Scarlet and her crew. **

Down on the right-side corner of the newspaper was another story that caught everyone's eyes.

**RUMOR FRAUD!**

**Weeks ago, mining company manager Clifford Tides printed a phony story about Montressor's famed Jim Hawkins, and is now facing the gallows for not only the fraud, but for piracy, assault, and property-sabotage.**

The entire planet was talking about both articles, and gathered at the Benbow Inn for a celebration on Jim's victory, and when Jim and Finn walked through the door, they were startled by an outrageous cheer by a crowd of patrons that completely filled the entire Inn. "So, this is what it's like to be a hero," Finn chuckled.

"JIM!" Elliot exclaimed, running up and jumping into Jim's arms. "I can't believe it! You took on the most hated pirate in the galaxy! AWESOME!"

"Heh heh, thanks… but I couldn't have done it without my brother," Jim replied. "Finn, this is Elliot. Elliot, Finn."

"Nice to meet you," Finn said, shaking Elliot's hand.

"Wow, you have a BROTHER?" Elliot gasped. "Boy, wait 'til I tell my fan-club about this!"

"Fan club?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, the whole membership is over there!" Elliot pointed at a group of young aliens about his age. "HEY GUYS! JIM HAS A BROTHER!"

"NO WAY!" The other fan-club members exclaimed, running over and asking Finn different questions. "You're his brother?/How many pirates did you fight?/Did you find treasure, too?/Do you own a solar-surfer?/Can I hold your guitar?"

Jim took this opportunity to slip away from his fans, chuckling as they climbed over Finn. "Jim! Jim!" Lee called to him, motioning him over to a table full of different sailors. "These are my old crew-mates. Boys, this is my son, Jim."

"Hey/How ya doin'?/Hello," Lee's old ship-mates replied.

"They wanted to hear your story,"

Jim shrugged. "Alright, but why didn't you tell them?" he asked, chuckling.

"We prefer tah hear it from deh horse's mouth, lad," Lee's crewmate, a wolfid, replied.

Jim rolled his eyes, smiling, then sat down. "Well, it started over a month ago…"

Meanwhile, BEN was over in a corner, playing with the Doppler children. "My, you certainly have a way with kids," a female android said as she watched him swing Alice around in one set of hands, while he used extras two play patty-cake with Amy, tug-o-war with Ashley, and build a tower of blocks with Derek.

"Ah, what can I say? I just love kids…" BEN said, turning to face the android, and his jaw dropped. "Lupe?"

The android, Lupe, gasped. "BEN?"

"…And that's when Silver stepped in," Jim continued.

"If you don't mind our asking, Jim, whatever happened to that cyborg?" One of the sailors, a lizardian-alien, asked. "Rumor has it he was exiled,"

Jim shrugged. "I don't know. Amelia said she was looking for a place where he could be set straight,"

"Pardon- excuse me- sorry…" Sarah said to a few patrons as she pushed by them to get to Jim. "Jim, I need you in the kitchen real quick,"

"Coming, Mom." Jim followed his mother through the crowd and into the kitchen, pausing when he saw Amelia in there. "Um, is something wrong, Captain?"

"Nothing's wrong, Jim… I was just on my way out," Amelia said, and Jim spotted a smirk on her lips as she passed.

"Jim… I'd like to introduce you to our new cook," Sarah said, putting her arm around Jim and turning his direction toward the stove.

…where he saw a familiar face. "Silver!" Jim exclaimed.

"Ah, Jimbo, lad! I was wonderin' when ye'd come back here," Silver chuckled as he and Jim hugged.

"B-But, I thought… Amelia said…"

"Aye, I've been exiled… an' apparently Amelia wanted tah torture me, 'cuz she sent me here tah be wit' you," Jim only smiled and hugged him again.

Sarah sighed deeply, smiling at the sight, then remembered the party. "Alright, boys, you can catch up later. Right now, we've got a full-house!" she said.

"Aye, she's right, lad. I'll catch up wit' ya later."

Jim nodded and walked out the door, while Sarah turned to Silver. "It's good to finally see you again, Silver."

The cyborg smiled back. "Same tah you, lass,"

Back with the party, Finn was pulling away from his and Jim's fans, stepping into a clear area with his guitar. "How about a song, son?" Lee called up to him.

Finn grinned, then sat on a stool and began strumming his guitar, then finally began to play a tune. Everyone got into the rhythm and began to dance along… especially BEN and Lupe. Amelia and Delbert danced together, and their children tried to mimic their moves, only to fall down and start giggling. Morph got into the music and turned into a tiny drum set, accompanying Finn, who smiled at him.

Lee stood by the doorway, smiling at the sight. Jim stood with him, his pockets in his hands. "So… my old crew-mates want me to start sailing again," Lee said, solemnly.

"What did you say?" Jim asked.

Lee shrugged. "I told 'em I just got home and want to settle down, but I'd think about it." he faced Jim. "I was wondering- if I took up their offer- if you'd like to join?"

Jim shrugged. "Maybe. …What about Mom, Silver, and Finn?"

Lee chuckled. "I think your mother wouldn't mind, especially since Silver will be helping her out, and the ol' cyborg won't mind us leaving- probably since we wouldn't be dragging him into trouble." Jim scoffed a chuckle at this. "As for Finn…" they looked at Finn, who bowed as the crowd cheered for an encore. "He seems pretty content here,"

"Yeah. He finally got what he wanted: a home." They both smiled at Finn as he began to play another song.

_~All the, small things_

_True care, truth brings_

_I'll take, one lift_

_Your ride, best trip_

_~Always, I know_

_You'll be, at my show_

_Watching, waiting_

_Commiserating_

_~Say it ain't so_

_I will not go_

_Turn the lights off_

_Carry me home_

_~ Na na na na na na na_

_Na na na na na na_

_Na na na na na na na_

_Na na na na na na_

(a/n: just FYI, no, Finn's not singing)

Finn's singing became a success and helped attract more customers, along with Silver's cooking. Lee and Jim, after a month, decided to take up sailing again, and their family stood on the pier and waved them farewell. As if it they were young lovers again, Lee made a heart-gesture with his hands to Sarah, who blushed.

Jim stood in the shrouds and looked back at the planet as the ship took off, and gave a salute to Finn, who saluted back, while Morph mimicked him.

_~Late night, come home_

_Work sucks, I know_

_~She left me roses by the stairs_

_Surprises let me know she cares_

_~Say it ain't so_

_I will not go_

_Turn the lights off_

_Carry me home_

_~ Na na na na na na na_

_Na na na na na na_

_Na na na na na na na_

_Na na na na na na_

Jim and Lee came back a few weeks later, bringing back gifts from the ports they had visited. Lee bought Sarah a new memory-chip for her locket so that the images would come in clearer and a model-ship for Silver (which hovered in the air, unlike old-fashioned models), and Morph turned into a mini-Silver and pretended to sail the ship; Jim bought Finn a box full of new guitar-picks. His brother rolled his eyes and gave him a soft punch in the shoulder. BEN popped up between them, seeing if Jim brought him home anything. Jim rolled his eyes and held up a small gift: a small magnetic sign that read "Babies on Board". Everyone got a laugh out of it.

They later visited Amelia and Delbert sat around the living room, listening as Jim and Finn re-told their story by the fireplace while BEN and Morph played with the kids.

_~Say it ain't so_

_I will not go_

_Turn the lights off_

_Carry me home_

_~ Keep your head still_

_I'll be your thrill_

_The night will go on_

_My little windmill_

_~Say it ain't so_

_I will not go_

_Turn the lights off_

_Carry me home_

_~ Keep your head still_

_I'll be your thrill_

_~The night will go on_

_The night will go on_

_My little windmill_

**THE END...**

**Or IS it?**

_Somewhere out in the universe…_

Scarlet's motionless body floated among the stars, until it bumped against a longboat. A pair of claws reached over and pulled her in, and she regained consciousness. "Ugh… where am I?" she asked, facing a figure with a hat pulled over his face

"You WERE drifting out with the ssstars," a voice hissed. "I happened to pull you in. …And what the heck happened to you?"

Scarlet looked at herself, sneering. Her clothes were tattered and she had a few cuts and bruises. "Ugh. I had a run-in with a cyborg scoundrel, and his idiotic cabin-boy,"

"Cabin-boy, eh? I've had the ssssame problem…"

"Hm. I would guess. …And who might you be?"

"My name is Danta…" The figure grinned, pulling the rim of his had up and giving Scarlet a clear view of his crimson face. "But, you may call me, Scroop."

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A/N: SURPRISE! XD Weren't expecting THAT, were ya?

(I hope the song fit the ending :p)

Please review. Flames will be extinguished and the flamer will be barbequed.


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